Nineteen Chinese sailors arrived in Shanghai Wednesday after being held hostage by Somali pirates for 135 days.

The sailors -- whose release on Nov. 6 was secured by the Chinese and Singapore governments and relevant companies -- arrived at the Shanghai Pudong Airport at 2:30 p.m.

Their Singaporean-registered cargo ship, Golden Blessing, was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on June 28 en route from Saudi Arabia to India.

"I really want to thank my country," said Tang Liyuan, a junior student working as an intern on the ship. "My thanks must also go to our captain."

Tang, who was on his first voyage, was almost killed in an altercation with the pirates but his captain saved him.