A little more than four years ago, Liao Yong, then 18, stopped by his teacher's office to let him know that his team had won a rugby match at his hometown in Changsha, in Central China's Hunan Province.

There he noticed two men dressed in what could have been military uniforms save for a few differences. They looked the boy up and down, and finally fixed their eyes on the rugby ball in his hands. After some light conversation, one of them asked: "Do you want to join us? We are from the army. A very good one."

The boy was overwhelmed.

"They were so tall and strong, and their clothes were so beautiful," he recalled. He did not hesitate to say yes, and a few months later he became a soldier in the People's Liberation Army stationed in Hong Kong.

Liao has been the pride of his family ever since - the PLA's Hong Kong garrison is famous throughout the country for its attractive soldiers.

"I may go on to achieve great things in the future, but there is no bigger honor than being stationed with the PLA in Hong Kong," said Liao. "It feels good to be honored while I'm still so young."

But there is no honor without sacrifice, as he soon discovered. Barracks life can be dull for young men - the soldiers would wake up at 6 am every morning, train for eight hours and then go to sleep by 10 pm.

The thousands of young men and women who have made the transition from campus to barracks have all shared the experience of adapting the soldier's lifestyle. And in interviews, many of them expressed a shared admiration for Hong Kong society, particularly the way the local people behave, and the rule of law.

They are particularly cautious about the latter point. A prime example is the PLA's vehicle transportation company - it has never once broken a traffic law.

The army has a department of legal affairs at its headquarters in Hong Kong, and it is responsible for keeping in touch with local courts and speaking to the media.

"The PLA would never interfere with court decisions," said Zhang Rucheng, political commissar of the PLA in Hong Kong.

The PLA tries its best not to disturb the local people. On base, one never hears the sound of honking horns because the army has abandoned the practice out of respect for the neighbors.

Keeping disturbances to a minimum can be challenging. For example, the navy once had to reschedule a land-assault drill at the last minute in order to accommodate people swimming at a public beach, said Lu Gang, a navy captain stationed in Kowloon.

The maneuver was supposed to take place on the southern coast of Hong Kong Island last year. However, the bay the navy was planning to use is also home to a public swimming area and a sailing area for the local yachting club. To avoid endangering the sailors and swimmers, the navy planned to land at 7 am and then retreat two hours later.

1

2