In pictures: China's Congress opens

China's Communist Party has begun its most important congress in a decade, as expectation mounts that many senior leaders will step aside for a younger generation.

More than 2,000 delegates from regions across China are attending.

The five-yearly congress is a grand occasion, and this 16th meeting is expected to be momentous.

The public is waiting to see if Jiang Zemin, 76, will retire as Party chief

Time is running out for the Communist Party leader (left); as his expected successor Hu Jintao waits his turn.

Outside the Great Hall, military delegates pose for a photo with an ethnic Miao minority delegate from the south-west.

The first day of the congress was televised, but the doors will be closed for the next week.