Hongkongers have snapped up the first batches of free tickets to visit two PLA naval ships within minutes of their release for a weekend port call in the city.A South China Morning Post reporter observed that the initial batch was gone within four minutes after being released at 10am on Tuesday. The second round of tickets, released at 3pm, and the third batch, released at 8pm, were both snatched up in six minutes.Demand remained intense even for the batch of tickets released at 8pm, with would-be visitors reporting that they were unable to secure a place almost immediately after reservations opened.One SCMP reporter attempting to book tickets was met with a message on the PLA Hong Kong Garrison’s WeChat mini-programme saying: “The current queue is long. Please try again later”, even when the line was joined at 8pm sharp.On Monday, China’s Ministry of National Defence said a People’s Liberation Army naval task group would visit Hong Kong waters from Thursday to next Monday to mark the 29th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese rule on July 1.The guided-missile destroyer Nanning and the guided-missile frigate Hengyang will be open to the public, with visits taking place at the Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks between 8.30am and 5.30pm on Saturday and Sunday.