China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong (hull number 17), departed from the Dalian Shipyard on May 25 for sea trials in the northern region of the Yellow Sea. Let's look back at some of the special moments from this aircraft carrier’s history.

The Shandong aircraft carrier was delivered to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy at a naval port in Sanya, south China's Hainan province, on Dec. 17, 2019.

The designers and constructors have solved problems concerning the overall design and hull construction of the aircraft carrier and improved its overall combating capabilities, according to Cheng Dewei, spokesperson for the PLA Navy.

On Dec. 19, 2019, the aircraft carrier became a trending topic on Chinese microblogging website Sina Weibo after it travelled a circular route during a sea trial.

At the beginning of January 2020, a J-15 fighter took off from the aircraft carrier.

During the pneumonia outbreak, the Communist Party of China (CPC) committee at the aircraft carrier continued with military training while ensuring epidemic prevention and control to reduce the impact of the novel coronavirus.

At the end of May, several J-15 fighters took off from and landed on the aircraft carrier as part of their training tasks.

The Shandong aircraft carrier is conducting marine trails and training according to the annual plans to test its weapons and equipment and improve its level of training, according to Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense.