The Ninth Shanghai Municipal Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened at 9:00 a.m. Thursday, which will elect a new generation of Shanghai's Party leaders.

A total of 809 delegates attended the congress that will also produce a namelist of delegates to the 17th CPC National Congress, set to open in Beijing in the second half of this year.

Delegates to the Shanghai congress would elect a new CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee as well as the Shanghai CPC Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The Shanghai Party congress would be a landmark gathering, to be held at a critical stage of Shanghai's reform and modernization drive, the 53-year-old Party secretary Xi Jinping noted earlier.

He was appointed Shanghai Party chief in the wake of a corruption scandal of his predecessor Chen Liangyu.

He called on people from all walks of life to ensure unity and stability and maintain Shanghai's economic growth momentum.

The congress will close on May 28.