Hongkongers on Thursday turned up at various spots around town, trying to catch a glimpse of the People Liberation Army's naval fleet that arrived here for a visit.

The Shandong aircraft carrier, along with two missile destroyers Yan'an and Zhanjiang as well as the missile frigate Yuncheng, will stay in the SAR for a five-day visit.

A man surnamed Tung told RTHK that he left his home in Tseung Kwan O at 6am to get to the waterfront in Cyberport, considered a good vantage point of the arriving fleet.

"I'm here to see the strength of China, the strength of the PLA Navy. I couldn't grab a ticket to board the vessels, so I woke up early today to come here and catch a glimpse."

Another man, surnamed Zhang, said even though he would be boarding the vessels on the weekend, he still wanted to be among the first to take a first-hand look at the naval fleet.

"I managed to make a reservation for the Shandong carrier as well as the other vessels," he said.

"I had to keep trying because the tickets were really sought after. I only managed to get a ticket after multiple attempts."

The public will have a chance to board the vessels this weekend with all 10,000 admission tickets snapped up on Monday – one-fifth of which were reserved for the carrier docked at Western Anchorage No. 2, and the rest were assigned for the Zhanjiang and the Yuncheng moored at Stonecutters Island.

Others were spotted at the West Kowloon Cultural District for a peek at the fleet.

A man from Yunnan, surnamed Li, told RTHK he arrived in Hong Kong only the day before.

"It is the first time for me to see an aircraft carrier and it's made in China. I feel so proud because I come here from Yunnan, a southwest province in China, and we don't have the sea," Li said.

"It is my pleasure to see the aircraft carrier, as it is hard to be seen in other places in China."

He said he will also go to other spots in the city to take more photos of the fleet.