Burj Al Arab, also a popular destination for Chinese tourists, is hosting its annual Chinese New Year celebration on February 8


Omar Khoury at Dragon Mart 2, which is decorated for Chinese New Year celebrations.

Dragon Mart, touted as Dubai’s unofficial China Town, is gearing up for the Chinese New Year celebrations with cultural performances and dragon dances to usher in the Year of the Monkey beginning on February 8.

Dragon Mart 1 and the newly-opened Dragon Mart 2 will host the Chinese New Year celebrations beginning February 8 with dragon dances, face changing shows, teapot shows, aerial performances, Kung Fu, and Chinese traditional dances. A group of performers are flying in from China to perform thrice each day spread across four stages throughout Dragon Mart 2.

“We celebrate Chinese New Year in both developments [Dragon Mart 1 and 2] as this is an important opportunity for us to showcase Chinese culture and traditions. Dragon Mart is the largest Chinese trading hub outside China. Dubai is known as the second home to most of these Chinese traders and it’s a great time of the year during which they can share their culture with the local people,” Omar Khoury, Director of Nakheel Retail, told Gulf News.

There are roughly 4,000 retailers at Dragon Mart 1 and 2. Chinese traders account for about 90 per cent of the non-food and beverage shops.

The UAE is home to more than 200,000 Chinese nationals working in different sectors. It has been China’s second largest trading partner and biggest export market in the Middle East and Northern Africa region for many years, making it an important hub for Chinese products. In 2014, bilateral trade hit a new high of $54.8 billion (Dh201.1billion).

The celebrations at Dragon Mart will go on until February 20. Some 5,000 Chinese lanterns, umbrellas and banners will also be displayed across Dragon Mart 1 and 2 on the occasion of the Lantern Festival marked on the 15th day of the first Chinese lunar month.

Also known as the Spring Festival, the Chinese New Year is a time for family get-togethers. Migrant workers come home for the holidays and hold family reunions, give red envelopes (ang pow) that contain money, enjoy watching fireworks and dragon dances and watch the traditional CCTV Gala.

Meanwhile, in other parts of the city, the Burj Al Arab, also a popular destination for Chinese tourists, is hosting its annual Chinese New Year celebration on February 8 in Al Falak Ballroom, complete with an array of Chinese culinary delights and live entertainment.

A traditional lion dance from the Guangzhou Labourers Lion Dance Association (GLLDA) will be coming to the world’s only seven-star hotel for the occasion. GLLDA, China’s first lion dancing association, owns more than 100 lion masks and 18 dragons, along with a professional drum crew comprising hundreds of members. They have performed at some of the most high-profile events in the world.

Anthony McHale, General Manager of Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, said: “We have a number of guests visiting from China every year and we feel that it is very important as an internationally diverse hotel to celebrate such momentous occasions.”

On February 6, Saturday, students at the Chinese Learning Institute from 14 classes will hold their own celebrations along with cultural performances.

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