The Year of the Fire Rooster is off to a great start at Shangri-La Plaza as it welcomes mall guests with exciting events this January and February to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Shangri-La Plaza kicked off 2017 with a special Lunar New Year celebration featuring film, art, music and tradition.

The festivities opened on Jan. 25 with the launch of the 11th Spring Film Festival and the Chinese Painting Exhibit at the Grand Atrium on level 2 of the Main Wing.

Chinese skill and talent take center stage with a Chinese Painting Exhibit by the students of the Confucius Institute at Ateneo de Manila University. The exhibit runs till Jan.  31 at the Grand Atrium.

Meanwhile, the 11th Spring Film Festival by the Ricardo Leong Center for Chinese Studies will show movies at Shang Cineplex Cinema 4 till Jan.  29. The selection of  masterfully crafted films  includes the  drama “A Complicated Story,” the action/comedy “Horseplay,” and China’s 2015 foreign-language Oscar entry “Wolf Totem,” among others. Admission is free and on  a first-come, first-served basis.

The excitement goes full swing today, Jan. 28, the start of the Chinese New Year. At the Streetscape, members of the Saturday Group of Artists will participate in  a live Mural Painting Demonstration  at 2 p.m.

Later at 3 p.m., the painting group will hold a free Chinese Lantern Painting Workshop at the level 4 hallway of the East Wing (between Muji and Quiksilver). The painted lanterns from the workshop will be displayed at the Streetscape.

Meanwhile, students from the Hope Christian High School will perform in the concert “An Afternoon of Beautiful Chinese Melodies” at the East Atrium on mid-level 2/3 of the East Wing at 3 p.m.

On Jan. 29 at 1 p.m., mall guests of all ages are welcome to participate in a free Pastel Painting Workshop led by  Master Fidel Sarmiento, president of the Art Association of the Philippines.

Guests who redeem their “Shang’s Gift of 25” raffle coupons at mid-level 2/3 of the East Wing from Jan.  30 to Feb.  3 get to pick a lucky ang pao from the money tree.

The celebrations culminate with  an electrifying Chinese Dragon and Lion Dance on Feb.  5 starting at the East Atrium at 2 p.m., and then moving to the Grand Atrium.

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