The Venetian® and The Palazzo® Las Vegas will celebrate Chinese New Year in traditional style with an extravagant décor, entertainment, and food and beverage offerings. A ceremonial lion dance and eye ceremony will officially kick off Chinese New Year 2016 activities on Feb. 8, at3:00 p.m.
THE WATERFALL ATRIUM AND GARDENS TRANSFORM FOR CHINESE NEW YEAR
To commemorate the Year of the Monkey, The Venetian and The Palazzo’s floral and horticulture team worked with a team of artisans and consulted a Feng Shui master to create the massive Chinese New Year display.
“To create the most stunning display for our guests, we begin the planning process a year in advance,” said Dana Beatty, director of floral and horticulture at The Venetian and The Palazzo. “Chinese New Year is very special to our guests so we took into account specifics to bring luck and make this display a spectacle our guests will never forget.”
Throughout The Venetian and The Palazzo, guests will find 78 handcrafted monkeys, each with a unique, hand-painted face. The main feature of the display is the five-foot tall, 300-pound Monkey King seated at the base of the 38-foot-tall wishing tree. His chest plate is made up of more than 8,000 hand-sewn gold coins and he is draped in Swarovski crystals. Among the wishing tree’s 8,000 branches of golden foliage are 28 young and somewhat mischievous monkeys. The number 28 is an auspicious number in Chinese culture, representing “easy fortune.” There are also eight giant, hand-painted peaches covered in Swarovski crystals. The monkeys that are extending a peach are wishing guests a long life.
The display also features:
- 88 gold and red six-foot lanterns that are suspended over the walkways of the Waterfall Atrium and Gardens
- More than 1,000 blooming flowers including golden Phalaenopsis, cymbidium orchids, chrysanthemums, and Oriental lilies
- More than 1,200 plants including phormium grasses, philodendrum, Ogon grass, tangerine trees, lucky bamboo trees, ivy, ferns, and cast-iron plants
EYE CEREMONY AND LION DANCE CELEBRATION ON FEB. 8
An important ritual of Chinese culture symbolizing good luck and prosperity, the lion dance will officially kick off the Chinese New Year celebrations at The Venetian and The Palazzo on Feb. 8 at 3:00 p.m. The ceremonial lion dance will begin with an eye ceremony at The Venetian porte cochere. The dance will wind its way through The Venetian lobby and casino before stopping in The Palazzo Waterfall Atrium, then finding its way through The Palazzo casino, lobby, and ending at The Palazzo porte cochere. This exciting event features firecrackers, and a parade of dancers and drummers in authentic clothing.
HACKEN LEE AND JOEY YUNG LIVE IN LAS VEGAS
Collaborating again after an 11-year hiatus, Hacken Lee and Joey Yung are headed to Las Vegas to celebrate Chinese New Year. On Feb. 13 and 14 Lee and Yung will perform in The Palazzo Ballroom at The Venetian.
Hacken Lee and Joey Yung are award-winning singers from Hong Kong. Lee has received multiple awards across four decades (1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s) and has maintained his popularity, releasing albums on a regular basis. Yung has emerged as one of the premier Cantonese singers in Hong Kong and has won the prestigious JSG “Most Popular Female Singer” and “Ultimate Best Female Singer – Gold” awards a record-breaking nine times.
Tickets can be purchased online, at any box office at The Venetian or The Palazzo, or by calling 866.641.7469.
A FEAST FIT FOR AN EMPEROR
Hong Kong Café’s Chef Simon To has created a special limited-time menu to celebrate Chinese New Year.
A variety of authentic dishes are on the special menu including: Roasted Pork Belly; Firecracker Manila Clams, infused with Chinese white wine, fish paste, and spicy roasted pepper; and Winners Daily Soup, which is a must-have for all casino players.
Hong Kong Café, which opened in Dec. 2015, showcases the energy of one of the world’s most vibrant cities and brings to life an eclectic mix of Asian cuisine and Western fare, all in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY
The Palazzo’s Fusion Bar will offer the Peach Blossom cocktail. The Peach Blossom is made with Woodford Reserve Whiskey, peach schnapps, peach puree, fresh lime juice, Hibiscus syrup, and is garnished with a Hibiscus flower.