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‘Year of the Rat’ celebrated on Las Vegas Strip — VIDEO

Chinese New Year was in full swing at The Venetian and The Venetian Grand Canal Shoppes on Saturday.

The Venetian celebrated Chinese New Year and the Year of the Rat with a traditional eye ceremony and lion dance on Saturday afternoon. The spectacle began with a parade of dancers and drummers that traveled through the hotel lobby and casino, stopping at the waterfall atrium, before moving through the Palazzo. An 18-foot-tall, 2,000-pound gold-painted rat is on display, and nine additional rats, as well as an 18-foot-long dragon decorate the resort.

The resort’s Grand Canal Shoppes also hosted events for the ninth annual Chinese New Year in the Desert on Saturday evening. They included a traditional lion blessing and dance, and cultural performances by the Shirley Chen Dance Troupe. More events are slated Sunday, including traditional Chinese drummers at 5 p.m. and a lion dance at The Sky Garden at 6 p.m.

The Review-Journal is owned by the family of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman and CEO Sheldon Adelson. Las Vegas Sands operates The Venetian and Palazzo.

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