China's Shanghai Composite index rose 0.62%
Google parent Alphabet, Tesla, General Motors and Intel are among the prominent U.S. companies scheduled to publish their earnings results this week.
Gold eased from a one-month high as the dollar struggled to recover ahead of a key speech by U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Oil held a decline amid concerns the brewing trade war between major crude consumers the U.S. and the European Union will curb fuel demand.
China's Shanghai Composite index rose 0.62 percent to 3,581.86, climbing to an eight-month high. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index ended up 0.54 percent at 25,130.03.
Shares of construction and power firms surged after China announced over the weekend the start of construction on a $170 billion hydropower dam in Tibet.
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