Liaoning landing tests spawn new Gangnam Style parody

Nearly four months have passed since rap sensation Psy's Gangnam Style hit the airwaves, but China netizens still can't seem to get enough of it.

Completion of landing tests on the country's brand new (refurbished) aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was supposed to be the biggest piece of news in the nation this week.

But it too was dragged into Gangnam frenzy.

A video posted on Youku.com, China’s top video sharing site, on Monday took a light-hearted snub at what was supposed to be a milestone event in China’s naval modernisation efforts, quickly reaching a sizeable 20,000 plus views within an afternoon.

With Gangnam Style playing in the background, there were no flash mobs or cover artists seen doing any of Psy's signature dance moves. Instead, the two minute clip featured a photo montage of people mimicking the hand signals of Liaoning’s flight deck crew directing fighter jets for take-off.

Pictures of people doing the “take-off” gesture – one knee on the ground, one arm behind the back and two fingers pointed forward – flooded China’s social media circles under the tag “Hangmu Style”, or “Carrier Style”.

Gangnam Style hit a new milestone over the weekend, knocking Justin Bieber’s hit song and music video "Baby" off the No 1 spot as YouTube’s most watched video of all time.