The Type 001A carrier was towed out from the dry dock at Dalian on April 26. (Photo: Chinese Internet, Xinhua News Agency)
Posted on 04/26/2017 8:48:54 PM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
China on Wednesday launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier by smashing a bottle of champagne on its prow, the first time the Western tradition has been used with a PLA warship.
But some guests attending the launch party for the still unnamed carrier at the Dalian shipyard in Liaoning province, wondered why champagne was used and not mao-tai, the Chinese liquor, naval expert Li Jie said.
“China adopted the Western tradition of smashing a bottle on the ship, signalling the Chinese aircraft carrier is drawing close to international standards,” Li said.
State media did not identify who wielded the bottle but in the West, it is usually a woman, according to Macau-based military expert Antony Wong Dong.
When the US launched its next generation aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, on November 12, 2013, Susan Ford Bales, daughter of the late president, was invited to smash a champagne bottle on the bow of the ship.
But the tipple of choice is not always French sparkling wine. When Queen Elizabeth commissioned the British carrier named after her on July 4, 2014, she used a bottle of whiskey.
There are different accounts of the origin of the christening ceremony. Some say it relates to bottles that victims of shipwrecks would cast into the sea with a message they hoped would be found one day. Breaking a bottle was a way to ward off the bad luck that brought a shipwreck.
In other versions, the ceremony evolved from the religious traditions of the Greeks, who would wear wreaths around heads, use cups made of precious metal to drink wine and pour water on a new boat. They would throw one of the cups into sea to honour the gods.
When Britain became a maritime power in the 19th century, and began launching more ships, sinking a precious cup was replaced with breaking a bottle of wine.
Li noted that the event in Dalian was also “China’s first aircraft carrier launching ceremony”, as the country’s first carrier, the Liaoning, was launched in a Ukraine shipyard in 1988.
But Wong said the launch party was not completely at the global level. “Compared with Western countries, China’s launch party was still very old fashioned, with hundreds of red flags everywhere,” he said.
The Type 001A carrier was towed out from the dry dock at Dalian on April 26. (Photo: Chinese Internet, Xinhua News Agency)
“Moatai is fermented urine”
Well i’ve heard of getting “piss drunk” but that’s a new one on me.
CC
No catapults, yes, but then, no stoppage of launches due to catapults being down.
It is truly sad. China (despite their “communist” leadership — and it’s really not anymore, just one party like the Dems + GOPe here but smarter) is becoming more American than America. And America is becoming more communist than China. Or rather we were before Trump.
On to this story: Nice looking ship. Some design flaws (no, won’t get into the details). Not equal to a Nimitz or Ford class carrier, not even close, but probably equal to anything our NATO allies have. Sigh.
Culture appropriation.
The Queen - long live her - used WHISKEY in 2014? That was a distress signal. To the ‘colonies’.
I’m waiting for the Japanese to build a real carrier again one day. Because you know it will turn into a giant robot when it needs to.
Theatrical stunt bottles don’t sink ships.
I’ve actually had Chinese grape wine.
If their champagne is of the same quality, that ship’s hull will be eaten through in just a few weeks.
I'll be going back to the Chinese place regularly!
Real Chinese, they don't speak German or English.
I got a Chinese Dragon tattoo on my chest when I was twenty.
I have an American Eagle on my arm (Back off!).
Uh-oh. They’ve discovered the secret of Anglo-American naval superiority. Trouble ahead.
They should use a big bottle of Soy sauce.
I have seen this before.
It was called Robotech, and it was awesome.
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