Call of Duty

“Every man has a soldier’s heart,” a Chinese saying goes. Fascinated by gunfire and war, enthusiasts express their love for the military in various ways. Some are obsessed with the past, plunging into the history of war; others are ardent collectors, gathering military memorabilia and other collectible items from around the world; some pursue their hobby with extraordinary creativity, spending years crafting beautiful and detailed scale models of tanks, warships and fighter jets.

1. In Rizhao city, Shandong Province, 59-year-old fishing captain Guo Changhai spent 12 years building models of seven different types of warship, including two missile destroyers, four cruisers and a frigate. The machines are fully equipped with electronic devices – including simulated radars and wireless control equipment – and can simulate firing. The captain has spent most of his money on the models, including nearly 60,000 yuan (US$8,955) to buy iron sheeting, as well as using wooden planks and cans to craft his creations.

2. Jin Feibao, a famous mountain climber from Kunming city, Yunnan Province, spent millions to reproduce the full fleet of legendary Ming Dynasty Chinese navigator Zheng He. The entire fleet consists of 208 delicate ships, including many of the treasure ships of the ancient adventurer. Jin, who himself is described by the media as "arguably modern China's greatest adventurer," said his sense of adventure had been nourished and inspired by the great explorer since he was a boy.

3. Zhao Yu is a 20-something lad from Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, who wears many hats: a military enthusiast, an army reservist, and is the youngest standing member of the Military Collecting Committee of the Shaanxi Collectors Association. Since he was young, Zhao spent his money on all sorts of of military collectibles. He loves searching online for soldier figurines from different countries, and for items used during the Second World War, as well as more recently.

1. In Anshan city, Liaoning Province, a 58-year-old military enthusiast named Liao Hong has built a model of the aircraft carrier-launched J-15 fighter. Liao has always enjoyed collecting various models of military equipment and always dreamed of making one himself. It took six months to finish the aircraft, which is 5.5 meters in height, four meters wide and weighs two and a half tons. “The Liaoning is the first aircraft carrier in China. It meant a lot to build it as my first model,” Liao said.

2. Three military enthusiasts created a life-size model of a Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter at an abandoned industrial site in Wuhan City, Hubei Province. It took them one year and they spent more than 200,000 yuan (US$29,850) to build the model. The trio are ardent fans of military magazines such as Aerospace Knowledge, Ordnance Knowledge, and World Military Affairs. They use the word “craze” to describe their love for aircraft and all dream of becoming pilots, though it seems unlikely they will. “We decided to build the fighter jet to fulfill our longtime dream,” one said.

3. In Dalian, Liaoning Province, 38-year-old farmer Zou Bingyu and his father spent more than a year building a half-size replica of a T-34 Tank. They finished the project in 2015. “It was the 70th anniversary of the World Anti-fascist War. The reason we made a T-34 was to commemorate its significant role in fighting in the war,” Zou said. He hopes to build a small military theme park in Lüshun harbor, Dalian.

4. In Shandong village, Liu’erpu township of Liaoyang city, Liaoning Province, 68-year-old farmer Zhou Chuanqin spent three months making an aircraft more than five meters long and weighing some 500 kilograms. The machine attracts villagers nearby who visit regularly. Because the engine is not powerful enough, the aircraft cannot fly, but it can taxi down the runway. Each day, Zhou drives his amateur-built plane for a ride around the village. "It’s like a toy," Zhou said, adding "I won’t drive it on the main road because that would inconvenience people."

5. Tong Guoping, a military enthusiast in Shiyan city, Hubei Province who is obsessed with military model-making, has made dozens of models. "I use one of my bedrooms as an 'armory room' in which I used wood and tin cans to make my models," Tong told media. He hopes to hold a home exhibition to display his works in the future.