New York tour: Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing (second left) visits the NBC headquarters at Rockefeller Centre.

The New York Celebrates Hong Kong 2008 festival has kicked off, showcasing Hong Kong's cosmopolitan culture and economic vitality.

The event is a month-long celebration throughout New York City of Hong Kong's creativity and entrepreneurship. Through art exhibits, opera and dance performances and educational symposiums, the festival offers people an opportunity to learn about Hong Kong.

During the month, a 30-second vignette highlighting the festival and showcasing Hong Kong's attractiveness is being screened prominently on the NBC Universal's Jumbo Tron in bustling Times Square.

Partnering with NBC Universal, 45-second vignettes highlighting the festival and Hong Kong's colourful heritage are also screened on video-screens in New York City's famous yellow taxi cabs.

Secretary for Home Affairs Tsang Tak-sing launched the festival's media campaign at the NBC headquarters at Rockefeller Centre today.

Mr Tsang also rode in a New York City yellow taxi-cab to see the vignette that highlights the festival after a meeting with executives from NBC Universal and a tour of the NBC Studios at Rockefeller Center.

He also visited the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts and exchanged views on issues related to the propagation of art and culture with the school's principal. He also stopped by a Cantonese opera workshop.