Guo Chuan puts his boat ashore after completing a world sailing in Qingdao in East Shandong province on Friday morning. [Photo/Xinhua]

QINGDAO, Shandong Province - China's Guo Chuan sailed back home on Friday morning to become the first Chinese to successfully circumnavigate the globe singlehanded.

Abroad his Class40 yacht, 48-year-old Guo travelled about 21,600 nautical miles in 138 days before he returned to his hometown of Qingdao, where he set off on November 18 last year.

The once-in-a-lifetime journey saw Guo pilot his yacht across the Pacific Ocean and then down to Cape Horn off the coast of South Africa before crossing into the Atlantic Ocean.

Guo, one of China's most accomplished sailors, previously became the first Chinese to traverse the Atlantic Ocean by himself and to take part in the Volvo Around-The-World Ocean race.