Mall of the Emirates, Majid Al Futtaim’s leading shopping, leisure and entertainment destination committed to redefining the shopper experience, ushering in Chinese New Year with cultural performances from February 17- March 5.

The start of 2015 in the Chinese calendar — the ‘Year of the Sheep’ — will see great moments for everyone, every day, created at Mall of the Emirates through a themed campaign which includes engaging family-friendly activities, exclusive offers from luxury retail partners, and daily shopping sprees to be won. As a growing number of visitors from China have made Mall of the Emirates their destination of choice, the mall has Mandarin-speaking staff onsite as well as incentives from leading Chinese credit card company Union Pay, which has selected Mall of the Emirates as a strategic partner.

“Chinese guests are a growing and vital part of the Mall of the Emirates community, and celebrating Chinese New Year enables all shoppers to enjoy the color and energy of this holiday period,” said Hussain Moosa, Associate Director for Shopping Malls, Majid Al Futtaim Properties.

“To usher in the ‘Year of the Sheep, we are extending the mall’s Chinese New Year celebration to two weeks with compelling shows, offers, and rewards for shoppers as well as exclusive opportunities from our luxury retail partners,” he added.

The festive ambiance at Mall of the Emirates during this period will provide a ‘home away from home’ feel for Chinese residents and visitors. At the Central Galleria, traditional Chinese performances will display a thrilling line up of artistry, including:

• Umbrella Dance – one of the southern Han dynasty Chinese traditional dances signifying femininity and grace, with brightly-colored costumes and matching parasols.

• Fan dance – a form of folk dance dating back more than 2000 years, this dance celebrates movement and joy through graceful postures.

• Traditionally-dressed golden Chinese dolls representing a wealthy couple called JinTongYuNv will tour the mall to bring prosperity to shoppers, and are available for photo opportunities.

• Lion Dance – symbolizing the coming of the Spring, this dance is believed to bring good luck. Accompanied by drum beats and the sound of gongs, the 20-minute show sees dancers imitate the lion’s movements inside the elaborate animal’s costume.

Selected as the partner of choice by China’s National Bank Card Association – Union Pay, Mall of the Emirates provides cardholders with the freedom to choose their preferred method of card-based payment, while rewarding them with a complimentary snow park pass to visit the world-famous Ski Dubai snow park for every AED 5,000 spent on the card.

To reward shoppers during this celebratory season, Mall of the Emirates will be giving away AED 10,000 daily, with just a minimum AED 1,000 spend, exclusively for Chinese shoppers.

For more information on activities and exclusive deals this Chinese New Year, please visit: www.facebook.com/MalloftheEmirates