New Year’s may be over for some the moment the ball drops and Champagne has been popped, but it’s just getting started at The Venetian and The Palazzo in Las Vegas. Ringing in the Chinese New Year this February, the two resorts will be offering guests a unique experience with a new art installation and a series of activities to celebrate The Year of the Monkey.
The event will kick off on February 8, with the Eye Ceremony and Lion Dance which will wind its way through the connecting hotels with performances from dancers and drummers dressed in traditional costume. With firecrackers and an eye painting ceremony, the parade is said to bring good luck and prosperity in the new year. On February 13 and 14, award-winning, Hong Kong-based singers Hacken Lee and Joey Yung will be performing in The Palazzo Ballroom at The Venetian. Lee has been in the industry for over 40 years and maintains his positions as one of the most popular and influential artists on the charts, while Yung has won the prestigious JSG Ultimate Best Female Singer: Gold, a record-breaking nine times.
The Waterfall Atrium and Gardens will transform into a playground with the help of a Fung Shui master and the talents of The Venetian and The Palazzo’s floral and horticulture team. Throughout the resorts, guests will discover 78 handcrafted monkeys hanging around, including a five-foot tall, 300-pound “Monkey King,” the pièce de résistance of the gardens. Leaning against a 38-foot-tall wishing tree, the Monkey King is draped in a Swarovski crystal-studded cloak with a chest plate made of over 8,000 hand-sewn gold coins. Surrounding him are 28 young monkeys (a lucky number in Chinese culture) and eight hand-painted, Swarovski-studded peaches which represent long life.
Chef Simon To of The Palazzo’s Hong Kong Café has designed a special limited-time menu for the Chinese New Year. Offering a selection of Asian and Western fusion cuisine, the new entrées include roasted pork belly; Firecracker Manila clams infused with a Chinese white wine, fish paste and spicy roasted pepper; and Winners Daily Soup which nods to the theme of the event with its ingredients, but is also a must-try for the resort’s casino players. The Palazzo’s Fusion Bar will also serve a new specialty drink, the Peach Blossom, a cocktail made from Woodford Reserve Whiskey, peach schnapps, peach puree, fresh lime juice and Hibiscus syrup, garnished with a Hibiscus flower.
