A 75-meter-long retired submarine is to become the center-piece exhibit in China's first submarine museum in northeast China's port city of Dalian, Liaoning Province.

According to construction plans, a museum covering 16,000 square meters will be built around the retired Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) submarine.

With an estimated investment of 87 million yuan (US$11.24 million) the museum will allow people to experience life on submarine and provide three-dimension animation programs. Planners hope the museum can become a new tourism highlight of the city.

Wang Shichang, the PLA's first captain of such submarines came up with the idea for such a museum.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2007)