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New Year once again in UAE: Chinese expats host 'biggest ever' spring festival
Performances at Coca-Cola Arena included traditional Han Chinese opera songs, martial arts shows, poetry and songs, jazz and hip-hop dances
- PUBLISHED: Sun 12 Jan 2025, 1:58 PM UPDATED: Mon 13 Jan 2025, 8:30 AM
This year's Chinese New Year Gala witnessed its biggest attendance yet and was marked by diverse performances by various UAE communities and overseas Chinese and international artists.
Celebrations took place ahead of the Chinese New Year, which will officially fall on January 29, with preparations starting on January 21 and continuing until February 8. The festivities culminate with the Lantern Festival, which begins the next day and runs until February 12. Also known as the Spring Festival, the Chinese New Year marks the transition from winter to the start of spring.
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The event, organised by the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Dubai, took place Saturday night at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. This year marks the Emirates' eleventh Chinese New Year Gala celebration and the biggest in terms of venue size.
Diverse performances
Performances included traditional Han Chinese opera songs, martial arts shows, poetry and songs, and jazz and hip-hop dances. The Spring Festival Gala showcased talent from all age groups, from toddlers to middle-aged artists, and celebrated diversity with international performers like Ukrainian singer Michael Brunsky, who impressed the audience with his near-flawless Mandarin rendition, earning rousing applause.
Jane Jiang, a Chinese expat living in the UAE for seven years, has been attending New Year festivities every year since moving here. She said that the event grows bigger and better every year.
"It's great to make it more international. We understand that this is about the Chinese Spring Festival, but we also want to share it with the world. We're fully supportive of that," Jiang said.
Cultural exchange
Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the United Arab Emirates Zhang Yiming said, "This is the celebration of the traditional Chinese New Year, but it's also a celebration of the China-UAE partnership."
The Sino-UAE diplomatic relations were established 40 years ago, in November 1984. The UAE remains a key partner in the region for China, which has strong economic ties and growing investments in the country, which reached $1.3 billion in 2023, according to WAM.
Yiming added that this year's festivities were also a cultural exchange, as the different artists performing were from different backgrounds, including the UAE.
"This is the real significance and meaning of this Chinese New Year Gala. We're looking forward to seeing a more beautiful, more well-organised, and bigger Gala next year," Yiming added.
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Hind Aldah is a business reporter based in Sharjah. In her spare time, you will find her playing classical guitar, painting amateur oil paintings, or crocheting the same old scarf that leads nowhere.