A large crowd is seen at the naming ceremony of China’s first domestically developed ocean drilling vessel “Mengxiang (Dream)” in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, yesterday. The ship will commence its maiden voyage Friday, which marks an important step in China’s deep-sea exploration capability. Weighing about 33,000 tons, the ship can travel 15,000 nautical miles and operate for 120 days without returning to ports. It has the capability of operating in unlimited navigational areas worldwide and the ability to drill as deep as 11,000 meters in the sea. Xinhua