Celebrate The Year Of The Snake With Activities & Display At The Palazzo
Celebrate Chinese New Year 2013, The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas are celebrating the Year of the Snake in a number of extravagant ways. Through Feb. 25, guests will be greeted with opulent holiday-inspired art and décor, restaurant offerings, and incentive cards. A ceremonial dragon dance will officially kick off Chinese New Year 2013 on Feb. 9, at 3:30 p.m.
Dragon Dance During Chinese New Year At The Venetian and The Palazzo
EYE PAINTING CEREMONY AND DRAGON DANCE KICK OFF ON FEB. 9
A highlight of Chinese New Year celebrations, the dragon dance, is said to bring good luck and prosperity for the new year. On Saturday, Feb. 9, at 3:30 p.m., this ceremonial dragon dance will begin with an eye painting ceremony at The Venetian porte cochere.
The dragon 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 dressed in authentic clothing.
Ceremonial Dragon Dance At The Palazzo 2012
THE PALAZZO’S WATERFALL ATRIUM FEATURES MASSIVE ART INSTALLATION
To commemorate the Year of the Snake, the resort’s floral and horticulture department worked with a team of 77 artists and artisans from around the world, and consulted with a Feng Shui master, to produce the massive animated art installation. This colossal structure towers nearly 40 feet above The Waterfall & Atrium Gardens of The Palazzo, and features a giant peach tree and animated snake.
“Chinese New Year is such a special event to our guests, that constructing and designing something that’s not only authentic, but in grand Las Vegas fashion was important,†said Dana Beatty, director of floral and horticulture for The Venetian and The Palazzo. “We took into account specifics to bring luck in 2013, such as length, color, and gender of the snake, but made it a spectacle our guests will never forget.â€
The art installation features Sophie Chow, a whimsical blue snake twisted throughout a giant peach tree. She is 98-feet long, with animated features including blinking eyes, a tongue that moves in and out, and a head that moves side to side. Her face is intentionally juvenile to pay tribute to the birth of a new year.
Sophie’s home is a giant peach tree that towers over the atrium at 38-feet tall and 28-feet wide. There are 8,800 blossom vines on the tree, adorned with approximately 193,600 flowers. Hung throughout the tree are 28 custom dancing lanterns. Also, traditional I Ching coins, representing an abundance of wealth, sit amidst the snake and Lalique statues of The Palazzo.
According to the Feng Shui master, it is recommended that guests walk clockwise around the tree and snake display three times to bring blessings of Heaven, Earth, and Mankind upon them.
The west garden is complete with rocks, plants, and metals, representing earth elements and the east garden embodies water to represent Yin and Yang, the ancient Chinese philosophy of polar opposites being interconnected and interdependent.
The gardens and entrances to both resorts are adorned with fresh bamboo, citrus trees, Coleus, maidenhair ferns, and peachy pink Calandivas to accent the color of the feature tree. Suspended from the Atrium ceilings are six-feet-tall hand-loomed brocade silk and jade gold and red lanterns, which signify the lives of those around to always be bright.
BRING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH NEW GIFTS
The Grand Canal Shoppes and The Shoppes at The Palazzo are celebrating Chinese New Year by offering incentive cards and special retailer merchandise to guests. From Thursday, Feb. 7 through Sunday, Feb. 10, incentive cards will be distributed in the Waterfall & Atrium Gardens in The Palazzo.
More than 40 signature retailers, including Fendi, Dooney & Burke, and Dior Beauty, have provided incentives or special merchandise that are only available during the Chinese New Year celebration.
To add to the festivities, a traditional Chinese fan dance will be held on Sunday, Feb 10, at 1:00 p.m. in the Chloé rotunda inside The Shoppes at The Palazzo. During and after the fan dance, more than 500 red envelopes will be distributed to guests. The envelopes will be filled with a prize — anything from a gift card to a chocolate gold coin. Red envelopes are traditionally handed out during Chinese New Year and symbolize happiness and wealth.
CELEBRATE CHINESE NEW YEAR WITH A FEAST FIT FOR AN EMPEROR
Chef Simon To of The Palazzo’s Zine Noodles Dim Sum has created a special limited-time menu to celebrate Chinese New Year.
Guests will find a variety of authentic dishes on the special menu including Firecracker Manila Clams, infused with Chinese white wine, fish paste, and spicy roasted pepper; and Winner’s Daily Soup, which is a must-have for all casino players.
The Palazzo’s Fusion Bar, will offer the Jaina cocktail. This cocktail was created by Fusion Bar mixologists Wendy Verdel-Hodges and Cynthya Halog, who were inspired by a number of exotic ingredients after walking through an Asian market one night. The Jaina cocktail, served in a martini glass, mixes Lemon Grass infused G Saki, Gogi Bery infused Absolut vodka, lotus root syrup, lemon juice, Chinese bitters, and Dragon fruit, which was the inspiration for the cocktail’s name.
The different infusions within the cocktail evoke the harmony between the earth and the fruit. The Jaina cocktail is only available at The Fusion Lounge in The Palazzo throughout Chinese New Year.
CHINESE NEW YEAR ART INSTALLATION
The entire installation is a unique creation that took 10 months to design, build, break-down, deliver and rebuild/install.
Both the tree and the snake are the product of 77 artists and artisans from all over the world - from Prague, Czech Republic, to Tustin, California.
The tree is 38-feet tall x 28-feet wide.
The tree is adorned with 8,800 blossom vines (and approximately 193,600 flowers).
There are 28 custom dancing lanterns. Each lantern has 6 planes/surfaces with 8 windows and 5 tassels.
The snake is nick-named Sophie Chow. Sophie is for her Italian home at The Palazzo and Chow is for her Chinese New Year reference. Since 2013 is a female gender year, she is also known as Yin.
The snake is 98-feet long and has blue skin to represent water, the element of the year. Her face is intentionally juvenile paying tribute to the birth of a new year.
The snake’s head moves from side to side, her tongue moves in and out, and she blinks. Photo credit: Courtesy
Bill Cody is an entertainment, technology and luxury travel reporter in Las Vegas. He reports on celebrities, events, tech, food, Las Vegas and luxury travel.