QINGDAO - China's Liaoning aircraft carrier formation has returned to a military port in Qingdao in east China Sunday.

The formation returned after completing maneuvering exercises and a visit to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) being stationed in HKSAR.

More than 5,000 Hong Kong people boarded the aircraft carrier and three escorting warships.

During their stay in Hong Kong, from July 7 through July 11, members from the fleet held a deck reception and visited an elder care center to interact with Hong Kong residents.

The naval formation, which first set out from Qingdao on June 25, has also carried out trans-regional training at sea to strengthen coordination among the vessels and improve the skills of crew and pilots in different regions.