Gala celebrations for Chinese New Year in Jan

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Gala celebrations for Chinese New Year in Jan
Chinese ladies practising at the Zhonghua Culture and Language Training in Al Barsha, for the upcoming Chinese New Year celebrations. Photo by Leslie Pableo

Dubai - The celebration in Dubai is expected to attract plenty of visitors and high income Chinese tourists

by

Ankita Chaturvedi

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Published: Thu 8 Sep 2016, 10:34 PM

Last updated: Fri 9 Sep 2016, 12:38 AM

Preparations for one of the most awaited expatriate celebrations are in full swing right now. Dubai's Chinese population is all agog about the upcoming Chinese New Year.
The New Year actually starts only January 28, 2017, but observations marking the festival starts a few weeks before, on January 12 and will go on until January 15. The gala event this time will focus on fusion activities designed to connect with the local Emirati population.
China and the Arab nations account for one sixth of the world's total land area, and their populations make up a quarter of the world's total people. Therefore, common growth and development goals have brought the two sides closer together. In 2014, China became the UAE's largest trading partner. This year, 450,000 Chinese tourists have visited Dubai so far.
Taking Sino-Arab friendship to the next level, Li Donxia, master planner of the organisation committee for the 2017 festivities, believes the gala event will play a pivotal role and bring the two communities together.
Li said, "We sincerely hope the four-day special celebration will connect the people of the Chinese community here in Dubai. This fiesta takes place every year and we start preparations early to avoid last minute hiccups. As it is the one and only big carnival for the community, we work on minute details and start practicing months before."

CELEBRATION HIGHLIGHTS 
> Performance by Li Nilai, who plays the guqin, a seven-stringed Chinese musical instrument
> Japanese-Chinese music orchestra
> 'Chinese Red'-themed fashion show
> Art exhibition by a Chinese-British artist
> Aerobic dance
> Han dynasty-style dancing
> Calligraphy exhibit
> Taiji kungfu show
> Sino-Arab traditional music instruments show
> China's famous Peking opera aria
> Show with 50 supermodels from across the Australia, UK, Canada, UAE, and New Zealand
Around 500 Chinese visitors from over 20 countries will be attending the fair in January, divided into two parts: the Sino-Arab flash mob in front of the Burj Khalifa on January 13, and a cultural theatre show on January 14.
Xiao Fang Zheng, who is participating in a dance activity, loves performing and thinks this festival would give her family a chance to visit Dubai. "I moved to Dubai to work and hardly get time to meet my family and friends, but through this gathering I can meet all of them at once," Xiao said.
As a major travel destination and hub for tourists worldwide, the celebration in Dubai is expected to attract plenty of visitors and high income Chinese tourists.
ankita@khaleejtimes.com


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