The Year of the Dog festivities have officially kicked off…

Chinese New Year is here, and millions of people around the world are enjoying two weeks of celebrations – including in Dubai.

Dubai is currently home to 253,000 Chinese nationals, with around 120,000 tourists expected to visit over the Lunar New Year period.

The Burj Khalifa put on a dazzling light and sound show to ring in the New Year on Friday, complete with an enormous dragon swirling its way up the 828-metre tower.

Here’s a glimpse of the show:

A post shared by Burj Khalifa (@burjkhalifa) on

Want to see more? The good news is, you can catch the Chinese New Year light show every night until February 24. There will be two showings each night, at 8pm and 10pm.

Another Dubai icon, the Burj Al Arab, also lit up for the Lunar New Year:

A post shared by Burj Al Arab (@burjalarab) on

Meanwhile HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, tweeted out a special message in Chinese:

“Congratulations to Chinese people all over the world on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, wishing you a happy Spring Festival,” the message read.

“China is an important partner and a rich and culturally enlightened old friend. We wish you all the best in the New Year.”

Want to know how you can keep celebrating Chinese New Year in Dubai over the next week? Check out our full list of events and dining deals here.

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