Chinese hospital ship Daishan Dao

Daishan Dao is a hospital ship of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) of China. It is also known as the Peace Ark in international circles. The ship was commissioned in 2008 and is one of the few hospital ships in the world that is operated by a navy.

Design and Construction[edit | edit source]

The Daishan Dao was built by the Guangzhou Shipyard International Company and was launched in 2007. The ship is 178 meters long, 24 meters wide, and has a displacement of 14,300 tons. It is powered by a diesel engine and can reach a maximum speed of 20 knots.

The ship is equipped with 500 beds, 35 ICUs, 12 operating rooms, and can accommodate up to 60 major surgeries a day. It also has a helipad for emergency evacuations and transport.

Service[edit | edit source]

The Daishan Dao is primarily used for humanitarian missions and has been deployed to various disaster-stricken areas around the world. It has participated in several international humanitarian missions, including the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2013 Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, and the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak.

In addition to its humanitarian missions, the Daishan Dao also participates in various international naval exercises and goodwill visits to promote peace and cooperation.