Hong Kong Optical 2004, one of Asia's most important trade platforms, opened Wednesday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.

Co-organized by Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC) and the Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association, the three-day fair has attracted a record number of exhibitors.

According to the TDC, over 520 companies from 19 different countries and regions exhibit at the fair. US exhibitors have for the first time set up their own pavilion in the fair.

In a bid to broaden the fair's international appeal, a special new zone "Visionaries of Style" featuring 10 international and local designer brands, enchants buyers on the lookout for branded eyewear.

The ever-popular "Hong Kong Eyewear Design Competition" is again held to promote originality in design.

"The competition will nurture creativity of the local optical industry and continue to breed local talents for the field," said Ng Hoi-ying, president of the Hong Kong Optical Manufacturers Association.

Hong Kong is the world's second largest exporter of spectacles, lens and frames after Italy and is the largest in Asia. Its exports of optical items in the first eight months of this year reached 695 million US dollars, an increased of 18 percent over the same period last year.

Source: Xinhua