Lights on the (L-R) Bank of China Tower, Cheung Kong Centre, Legislative Council, HSBC headquarters and Standard Chartered Bank headquarters are lit before being dimmed at the Central district in Hong Kong June 21, 2008

HONG KONG, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Rita Lau said that Hong Kong people's creativity has driven the city's architectural sector to become one of the foremost in Asia and one of its top creative industries, a government press release said on Saturday.

According to the press release from the Information Services Department of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, Lau applauded the creativity of Hong Kong exhibitors while opening the Hong Kong exhibition at the 11th Venice Biennale International Architecture Exhibition in Venice on Sept. 12.

Praising Hong Kong architects' presentation of creative ideas to improve quality of living, she said the pursuit of quality living has propelled people's creativity to develop new ideas and designs.

To facilitate exchange and discussion between Hong Kong's creative talent and their overseas counterparts, Lau hosted a gala dinner for guests including representatives from overseascreative organizations, leading architects and designers of participating countries of the Architecture Biennale.

The HKSAR government has allocated more than 1.8 million HK dollars (231,065 U.S. dollars) in sponsorship to support the Hong Kong exhibition in Venice as well as a responseexhibition.

The Hong Kong exhibition features the creativity of Hong Kong in six categories including objects, buildings, landscapes, city, media and text. Nine groups of local exhibitors, comprising architects, designers, photographers, performers, and writers and critics, will showcase their interpretations of architecture at this international platform.