The celebrations included acrobats, traditional dances, fireworks, cookery shows and kung fu performances to mark the most significant festival in the Chinese calendar and the most colorful of Chinese holidays. New Year festivities traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the fifteenth, when the moon is the brightest. The DragonMart celebrations will run for four days.

DragonMart is the largest trading hub for Chinese products outside of China and houses commercial areas in addition to showrooms, restaurants and warehouses.

Located at the International City, the mall has been adorned with traditional Chinese lanterns, decorations and is bedecked in red and yellow, the traditional colours symbolizing prosperity and good luck.

A series of discounts and sales have also been in place since the New Year began on Saturday.

Abdullah Lootah, General Manager, DragonMart said : 'The Chinese New Year is an important occasion for us here at the DragonMart and the celebrations reflect the close relationship between the UAE and China. As a part of our commitment towards enhancing these ties, we have been celebrating the Chinese New Year for ever since the mall's inception four years ago and are looking forward to many more such festivities in the near future.'

Developed by Nakheel Properties, a business unit of Dubai World, DragonMart attracts close to 10,000 visitors every day, a figure that is expected to rise higher during the celebrations.

Jamal Bin Marghoob, Vice President- Commercial and Operations, DragonMart, said: 'We are expecting a large number of people to join us in celebrating the Chinese New Year with us at DragonMart. Special arrangements have been made to ensure that everyone has a good time, with a host of daily entertainment activities ranging from traditional Chinese dances and music to authentic Chinese cuisine, making it a unique and enjoyable experience for our customers and guests.'

Kick starting the celebrations was a gala dinner on Thursday evening at the shopping mall, accompanied by a breath taking pyrotechnic show, jugglers, acrobats and dancers. The celebrations will last for four days, with 12 shows featuring authentic Chinese performers, three times a day, from various Chinese provinces will be showcased.

The artists will play on traditional Chinese music on instruments such as Bamboo flutes giving visitors a rare chance of experiencing the richness of Chinese music all while sitting here in Dubai.

This year marks the Year of the Pig and is even more significant as it marks the year of the Golden Pig, an occurrence which happens only once in 6 decades.