Thousands of people on Saturday visited the PLA naval fleet on the third day of its five-day port visit to Hong Kong.

Tickets to tour the Shandong aircraft carrier and two other naval vessels had been snapped up within minutes of their release earlier this week.

Large queues formed ahead of the day's first session which began at 10 am.

“I am thrilled to board the ships because I know the tickets are incredibly hard to get. I left home at 5 am. It’s not exhausting at all. I'm too excited," said a woman who had travelled from Macau.

A man surnamed Hui and his wife brought their daughter along with them to visit the Shandong aircraft carrier.

“It’s incredible that this is China’s first domestically-built aircraft carrier. It’s my first time boarding a navy ship and it’s a meaningful family activity to foster national awareness and education for our daughter,’ he said.

Crowds were invited to board the ships in batches according to their arrival time.

During the tours, people were free to take pictures with the aircraft on deck and talk to naval officers. A man surnamed Bai said he was impressed by the advanced weaponry and the warmth of the crew.

A naval officer from Guangdong was on hand to help with translation into Cantonese.

“This is my first time visiting Hong Kong. I find it a beautiful and prosperous city. The crowds are passionate and curious. They are often asking about the models and functions of our equipment,” he said.

Two more sessions are set for this afternoon and evening with another open day on Sunday before the fleet departs the SAR on Monday.