China's nuclear submarine program began in June 1958, during a period of intense Cold War competition. When the Soviet Union declined to provide technical support, the program stalled and was temporarily shelved in 1963. It resumed in 1965 with the construction of an onshore simulated reactor as a power test. Beginning in 1969, a team of China's top scientists committed to the project. The chief designer was Peng Shilu, with deputy chief designers Huang Xuhua, Zhao Renkai, and Huang Weilu. The team built supporting infrastructure from the ground up: a land-based experimental nuclear reactor in Mianyang, Sichuan, a dedicated submarine dock at Huludao Shipyard in Liaoning, and specialized torpedoes, sonars, and missiles. The land-based model reactor was installed on April 28, 1970, and reached full power operation on July 30 of that year, meeting all design requirements.

The Type 091 nuclear submarine was plagued by problems from the start. Excessive underwater noise made the boat detectable to adversaries, and its weapons systems were incomplete. These were not failures of ambition but consequences of building something this complex without any external reference point. Despite the difficulties, five Type 091 boats were eventually built and deployed with the North Sea Fleet. The first two, hull numbers 401 and 402, received upgrades in the late 1980s but were decommissioned in 2000 and 2001. The later boats, 403 and 404, incorporated significant improvements: acoustic tiles to reduce noise, upgraded equipment, and hulls eight meters longer than their predecessors. A 1998 refit added more efficient anechoic tiles and the capability to fire wire-guided Yu-6 torpedoes and YJ-82 anti-ship missiles from underwater.

When Changzheng 1 was decommissioned in 2000, the question of what to do with a retired nuclear submarine demanded careful consideration. Nuclear vessels cannot simply be scrapped like conventional ships. The reactor must be removed and the hull thoroughly decontaminated in a process called denuclearization. This work was completed on Changzheng 1, making her safe for permanent public display. She was transported to the Qingdao Naval Museum, where she now rests alongside other decommissioned vessels from the People's Liberation Army Navy. Visitors can view the submarine that launched China into the exclusive club of nations capable of building nuclear-powered warships, a group that at the time included only the United States, Soviet Union, Britain, and France.

Changzheng 1 was never the best submarine in the world. She was loud, her systems were incomplete, and her technology lagged behind the boats built by the established nuclear powers. But being first mattered more than being best. The program that produced her trained a generation of nuclear engineers, submarine designers, and naval officers. It established the industrial base, from reactor construction to torpedo manufacture, that would support every subsequent Chinese submarine program. Huang Xuhua, one of the deputy chief designers, would later be recognized as a national hero for his contributions. The nuclear submarine program he helped build now produces boats that rival the best in the world. All of it traces back to the years when a team of scientists, denied Soviet help, decided to build one anyway.