The port call by eight PLA navy vessels may be an attempt to impress with military might, but nine-year-old Chu Sin-yee was more concerned with other matters. 'Many of them are very handsome. I've taken many photographs with them,' she said, inspecting the sailors in their white uniforms. She was among thousands who turned up at Ngong Shuen Chau Naval Base on Stonecutter's Island where two destroyers, four frigates and two submarines of the People's Liberation Army are docked during their six-day call in Hong Kong. The two submarines are not allowed to be boarded and visitors can only walk along the decks of the other vessels. And Sin-yee worked out that something else was missing. 'Why aren't there any female sailors?' she asked one of the officers, who then explained to her that women were only recruited for the army. Some analysts say the Chinese navy's biggest visit ever to Hong Kong is aimed at strengthening patriotic spirits in Hong Kong and presenting a show of strength to Taiwan. Visitors said they felt a sense of pride when they boarded the ships. 'I can feel the strength of the motherland on board the ship,' said Tam Chee-keung, 46, walking along the deck of the destroyer Shenzhen with 14 members of his family. Wong Fuk was revisiting the naval base where he had worked for decades in the officers' mess of the former British navy in the colonial days. He said he was glad to see the modernised warships as they testified to the growing strength of the nation. Marco Kwan, 25, shared similar sentiments: 'Seeing these vessels has given me a greater sense of national pride.' Mr Kwan said he was not only impressed by the military hardware, but also the friendliness of the sailors, who patiently answered visitors' questions ranging from their age to secrets of how they keep their uniforms so crisp and white. Military expert Raymond Sun, who also visited the naval base yesterday, said he believed the friendly image put forward by the sailors was intended to help strengthen the sense of nationalism. Another military expert, Ma Ding-shing, said the flexing of military muscles was intended as a show of support for patriots in Hong Kong and to send a message of unity to the world, especially Taiwan. Vice-Admiral Yao Xingyuan who led the fleet into Hong Kong on Friday, dismissed suggestions that their visit had any special meaning in relation to Taiwan. But he said they were concerned about Taiwan's current political situation and were ready to maintain stability there. The sightseeing roles will be reversed over the next few days, with sailors touring the city in groups.