Nakheel Wednesday celebrated Chinese New Year, which is marked as the 'Year of the Rooster', at Dragon Mart, the largest trading hub for products from China outside the Chinese mainland, developed by Nakheel at its International City in the Al Warsan area of Dubai.
The Chinese New Year, also called 'Yiyou' is becoming a popular event in Dubai, with the increasing population of Chinese nationals settling in Dubai and carrying out business operations, in developments like Dragon Mart, which is jointly promoted by Nakheel and Chinamex Middle East Investment and Trade Promotion Center.
"This is the third time Nakheel is celebrating Chinese New Year and we had an excellent response this year. At present, Chinese nationals comprise a major portion of International City, because of Dragon Mart and we thought it was a good way of welcoming them and connecting with their traditions and culture. According to Chinese culture, the Rooster years are usually more peaceful and prosperous for the world at large," said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, Nakheel.
Groups of talented performers entertained the audience till early hours in the morning at Dragon Mart with traditional dances, violin play, Kung-fu performance, magic shows, artistic acrobatics, gastriloquism and other traditional shows. Firecrackers, which symbolise driving away evil spirits, were also a part of the celebrations.
Chinese New Year, beginning February 9, 2005 is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The sign of the Rooster indicates a person who is hard-working, confident and focused. Roosters are also traditionally considered as auspicious birds that can exorcize evil spirits.
Dragon Mart is spread over an area of 150,000 square meters in addition to 30,000 square meters of warehouses, and houses the most exhaustive collection of Chinese products under one roof. Dragon Mart, with its symbolic design represents traditional Chinese characters of power, prosperity, nobility and good fortune. The Mart is uniquely designed in the shape of a Dragon and will host large exhibition areas divided into six zones, each of which is further divided into four exhibition areas. The body of the dragon measures around 980 meters in length, 110 meters in width and 6.4 meters in height.
"During the coming months we look forward to welcoming communities from other nationalities at the International City, as it develops into a major hub for companies and traders from various countries. The fine blend of property developments of residential, commercial, retail, cultural and tourist interests seen at the International City, is bound to ensure a steady flow of investors and visitors into the region. Moreover, the surge in tourists coming into Dubai for the Shopping Festival has also helped us in promoting our unique developments across the region," added Bin Sulayem.
Dragon Mart, which houses showrooms, shopping area, restaurants and warehouses has been drawing large crowds of people since its inauguration on December 7, 2004. The Mart is divided into 20 commercial areas, 13 service areas, an office area and a business centre. It also has negotiation rooms and
three conference rooms within the commercial areas.
Adjoining the Dragon Mart will be a complex of 25 residential buildings in a Chinese themed elevation, located about 300 meters away from the mart, offering 1,868 quality apartments and retail space on the ground floor level, completing the picture of an elegant mixed used development. The residential districts, commercial areas and other tourist attractions that will be a part of the International City will be completed at different stages throughout 2005. The third Chinese component to International City will be the Forbidden City, which will be a 240,000 square meter replica of the Forbidden City in China. The development will host extensive entertainment facilities, in addition to retail and restaurant facilities and public squares for Chinese themed shows.
