Domestic drilling ship put into service

China's first domestically built ocean drilling vessel was commissioned on Sunday in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, marking a major leap in the nation's deep-sea exploration and mining endeavors.

The colossal ship — called Mengxiang, or "Dream" — was mainly designed by the Marine Design and Research Institute of China in Shanghai and was constructed by Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding Co in Guangzhou.

Both the institute and the shipyard are part of China State Shipbuilding Corp, a State-owned conglomerate and the world's largest shipbuilder.