A pedestrian walks past an electronic panel showing the Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong, south China, July 26, 2011. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose by 278.79 points, to end at 22572.08 points on Tuesday.[Photo/Xinhua]

HONG KONG -- Hong Kong shares ended higher on Tuesday, led by good performance of financial heavyweights.

The benchmark Hang Seng Index gained 278.79 points, or 1.25 percent at 22,572.08 after trading between 22,262.46 and 22,581.56 points.

Turnover increased to HK$62.63 billion (about $8.04 billion) compared with Monday's HK$58.63 billion.

The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index rose 164.04 points, or 1.32 percent to close at 12,604.68 points.

All the four sub-indices gained ground. The finance sub-index was the biggest gainer, rising 1.44 percent, followed by the Properties, adding 1.22 percent, the Utilities, 1.18 percent, and the Commerce & Industry, 1.04 percent.

Banking giant HSBC, which accounts for the largest weighting of the Hang Seng Index, added 0.581 percent to HK$77.95 and its local unit Hang Seng Bank went up 0.410 percent to HK$122.6. Bank of East Asia, another Hong Kong's major bank, ended 0.163 percent higher at HK$30.65. Local bourse operator Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing went up 0.560 percent to HK$161.5.

Mainland-based financial stocks also gained. Bank of China was the best-performing blue chip in the day, with its shares rising 3.116 percent to HK$3.64 . ICBC, the world's largest bank by market value, rose 2.911 percent to HK$6.01 . China Construction Bank added 2.913 percent at HK$6.36. Bank of Communications went up 1.630 percent to HK$6.86.

Cheung Kong Holding, a powerful HK-based developer controlled by billionaire Li Ka-shing, rose 0.777 percent to HK$116.7. Henderson Land, another major developer in Hong Kong, added 1.977 percent to HK$49.

As for oils shares, the country's largest oil and gas producer PetroChina lost 0.353 percent to HK$11.3. China's top refiner Sinopec added 1.430 percent to HK$7.8. The HK- listed unit of China's National Offshore Oil Corporation, CNOOC, moved up 1.636 percent to HK$17.4.

MTR Corporation, which owns and runs Hong Kong's MTR metro system, was the worst-performing blue chip in the day, with its shares falling 0.371 percent to HK$26.85.