HONG KONG: Hong Kong shares opened higher on Tuesday, after a cheery return for mainland Chinese stocks after the Lunar New Year, thanks to a holiday surge that pushed spending above pre-pandemic levels.

The Hang Seng Index rose 0.3 percent, or 8.37 points, to 16,222.09 in early trade.

Hong Kong stocks retreat at open

The Shanghai Composite Index was down 0.6 percent, or 16.92 points, at 2,902.18, and the Shenzhen Composite Index on China’s second exchange slumped 0.4 percent, or 6.62 points, to 1,597.55.