"Today, Beijing is a vastly different place and the early photographs presented a perspective on the city which had never been previously availableThe country, which gained independence from the United Kingdom in April 1961, remains one of the least developed in the world新利体育香港版It has eight surgical operation rooms and 300 patient bedsThe Chinese Navy's hospital ship Peace Ark arrives on Tuesday in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on an eight-day mission to deliver free medical services to 2,000 people in the West African nationThe visit marks 新利体育香港版the first time the ship has visited West Africa, Xinhua said[Photo/Xinhua]The Chinese Navy's hospital ship Peace Ark is providing humanitarian medical services to the people of Sierra Leone during an ongoing port call in the West African nation, Chinese media reported