Hong Kong stocks surged more than one percent in the first few minutes of trade Tuesday as dealers took a strong lead from Europe and New York, following last week's painful losses.

The Hang Seng Index added 1.41 percent, or 415.50 points, to 29,875.13.

And the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.70 percent, or 21.98 points, to 3,176.11 while the Shenzhen Composite Index, which tracks stocks on China's second exchange, climbed 0.54 percent, or 9.32 points, to 1,733.05.

Tokyo stocks open higher after Wall St gains

On the Japanese islands, Tokyo stocks opened higher on Tuesday following two days of gains on Wall Street.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index gained 0.98 percent or 209.91 points to 21,592.53 in early trade, playing catch-up after a market holiday in Japan on Monday.

The broader Topix index was up 0.64 percent or 11.10 points to 1,743.07 — APP/AFP