QINGDAO, April 24 (Xinhua) -- In east China's coastal city of Qingdao, a Chinese man's retrospective look at a childhood memory offers a window into the transformation of the Chinese navy.

Chen Yuwen donated to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Naval Museum a treasured reply letter he received 26 years ago from the former PLA General Armaments Department. The letter was a response to his childhood wish to fund an aircraft carrier. In a special closing of the circle, Chen was recently invited to board China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning.

Chen's father once served in the military. In 1999, while listening to his father conversing with fellow veterans, Chen heard mention of citizens donating money to support the nascent dream of building a Chinese aircraft carrier. Then just a kindergartener, Chen said that he, too, wanted to contribute his savings to the effort.

Chen recalls that although he was very young at the time, exposure to television, books and conversations among adults had already given him a vague sense of the role aircraft carriers could play in safeguarding the country.

For many Chinese, an aircraft carrier represents far more than military capability; it embodies the nation's aspiration to grow strong at sea. The simple wish of a child thus became closely intertwined with a nation's collective ambition.

With the support of his family, Chen took his savings out of his piggy bank and, in four separate transfers, sent a total of 140 yuan (about 20.4 U.S. dollars) to the PLA General Armaments Department.

In January 2000, to the surprise of Chen and his family, a reply arrived. In the letter, the department expressed appreciation for his support of national defense, but returned the full amount in accordance with regulations.

They also wished Chen "a happy Spring Festival, progress in your studies and good health." Enclosed in the letter was a red New Year greeting card.

"They returned my pocket money, but they accepted my dream and the hopes of countless others," Chen, who now works in Beijing, told Xinhua.

On Sept. 25, 2012, China's first aircraft carrier was commissioned into the navy. Named the Liaoning, the vessel marked the country's entry into the aircraft carrier era and sparked a wave of national pride.

On Dec. 17, 2019, China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, was commissioned, ushering in a "dual-carrier" era.

On Nov. 5, 2025, the country's first aircraft carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults, the Fujian, entered service.

China's first year of the aircraft carrier era almost coincided with the centenary of global carrier aviation. Despite a late start, the country has moved steadily to narrow the gap.

As Chen followed these milestones in the news, he often reflected on his 140-yuan donation and the reply letter he received. He never imagined the progress would come so quickly.

Chen described himself as just one of many who have cared about the development of China's aircraft carriers.

Ahead of the 77th anniversary of the founding of the PLA Navy, marked for Thursday, Chen decided to donate the letter he has carefully preserved for years, one that has inspired him, so that more people can learn about this story tied to a nation's enduring dream.

In Qingdao, he received an invitation from the Chinese navy to visit the Liaoning.

Stepping aboard the carrier, which, to him, resembled a towering city of steel, Chen toured the flight deck and hangar, spoke with officers and sailors, and tried the ship's dining halls. He said the experience gave him a profound sense of the countless, often silent contributions behind such a major national asset.

"The Liaoning has fulfilled the long-held dream of hundreds of millions of Chinese people to have an aircraft carrier, and that was my dream as well. Standing here today, I feel that a dream I have carried for years has finally taken tangible shape," Chen said.

He noted that China's maritime ambitions have deep historical roots, stretching from the voyages of Zheng He to the century of repeated maritime incursions following the First Opium War. And the desire for a strong, world-class navy has always persisted.

What began as a child's modest wish has now become part of a much larger national story.

"The story of donating money to help build an aircraft carrier as a child comes to a close here. But at the same time, it marks a new beginning," Chen said. ■