HONG KONG - Hong Kong residents made a beeline for an exhibition that opened in the SAR on Saturday, featuring the Communist Party of China's achievements in the past 100 years and its close bonds with the SAR.

The week-long exhibition, which is part of celebrations marking the Party's centenary, saw many parents taking their children along to allow them to get a deeper understanding of the nation's history and achievements. It's being held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai and is open to the public from July 3 to July 9.

Visitors crowded the exhibition hall and took photos in remembrance of the big event. In another section of the hall, rows of warship models were on display, attracting the attention of many parents and their children.

A mother surnamed Xie, who took her 11-year-old son to the exhibition, said the event is worthwhile as it helps to enrich the younger generation's knowledge about the nation's history.

A father also brought his 12-year-old daughter along. The girl, who's now in sixth grade in an elementary school, said she was excited and eager to know more about the nation's past, especially the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression from 1931 to 1945.

Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee said the exhibition offers a great opportunity for every resident to learn about the nation's historical developments, as well as the hardships the country has gone through.

Chan said she's grateful for the motherland's help and support during the pandemic, saying the nation has helped Hong Kong fight against COVID-19 on various fronts, including rolling out the universal testing program for local residents earlier this year, and in the construction of hospitals.

Gordon Lam Chi-wing, chairman of the Hong Kong Technology Association, said he was very impressed by the strong backing the CPC has given Hong Kong since the Second World War.

He said without the Party's help, Hong Kong would have encountered many difficulties today, including the problem of a regular supply of food and water.

"I'm confident that, under the CPC's leadership, Hong Kong and the motherland will have a better future", said Lam.

The exhibition is co-organized by the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the HKSAR Government, Bauhinia Culture Holdings Limited and the National Museum of China.