“Apple! Hong Kong! Apple! Hong Kong!” wired up customers and staff were shouting as they waited for Hong Kong’s first ever Apple store to open its gates.

Thousands of excited Apple fans had gathered on Saturday morning to be part of the historical event and the queue reached several hundred meters, from the gigantic ifc shopping mall all the way down to the ferry piers. Some customers queued two nights for the event.

Apple has more than 100 resellers in Hong Kong, and its iPhone is distributed by several mobile carriers.

But now the California based firm opens its first store in Hong Kong, paring reliance on sales agents to market its iPhones and iPads as Chinese tourists drive a retail boom in the city.

“With more than 300 passionate employees, customers can get help and learn everything they need to know about Apple products. The store’s highly trained team includes accomplished musicians, filmmakers and photographers from Hong Kong and around the world”, Apple said ahead if the opening.

Apple also said its Hong Kong store offers one of the world’s largest areas for Personal Setup, Apple’s popular free service that helps customers get up and running with their new device before they leave the store.

Earlier the same week Apple opened a new store in Shanghai, taking the total number of its stores in China to six.