"Hong Kong Cultural Week," an exhibition celebrating Hong Kong's culture and heritage, was launched Friday in Taipei to encourage more Taiwanese tourists to visit Hong Kong this year, according to a report reaching here from Taipei.

The Hong Kong Cultural Week includes installations and cultural event information and will be held between April 28 and May 11 at the Eslite Bookstore (Hsin-yi), said Jessica Huang, director of Hong Kong Tourism Board's (HKTB) Taipei office.

"Hong Kong is more than a shopper's paradise," said Huang. " The campaign wants to let Taiwan people know about cultural events and heritage they can enjoy in Hong Kong. It's a celebration of Hong Kong's popular culture."

Between April 20 and May 7, visitors to Hong Kong will be able to experience four major traditional Hong Kong festivals first-hand: the birthday of Buddha, the birthday of Tam Kung, the birthday of Tin Hau and the Cheung Chau Bun Festival.

The Cheung Chau Bun Festival stands out in terms of uniqueness, Huang said. Youngsters dressed as mythological figures are held aloft on hidden rods in a parade. The procession ends at a temple where men and women clamber up a tower covered in buns to grab as many lucky" ones off the top as possible.

Huang estimated the average number of Taiwan tourists visiting Hong Kong during the month of festivities as somewhere between 180,000 and 190,000 -- an increase of 5,000 over other months.

The event is part of the "2006 Discover Hong Kong Year" campaign to boost tourism of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.