Spring Festival or Lunar New Year this year ushers in the Year of the Dragon, a highly significant time in the Chinese culture symbolising power, prosperity and good fortune.
A new year much awaited for, just like the Chinese community in the Sultanate, local businesses are also welcoming this auspicious year believed to be able to foster positive relationships and create meaningful connections, by understanding the customs and traditions associated with this year.
Mulia Hotel is displaying Chinese decorations in their premises with environmental friendly features.
Over the years, the hotel comes up with environmental ideas, creatively done by their senior staff members to produce a display of decorations to welcome guests. This year, Mulia Hotel’s Food and Beverage Manager Kee Taufek Kee Harrith decorated the hotel with ‘ang pow’ red packets in the shape of dragons that caught the eyes of the patrons of the hotel as they entered both the Vanda Chinese Restaurant and Goldiana Cafe and Lounge.
“Everyone is looking forward to the Year of the Dragon, so I decided to put my display focus on the animal itself. I began collecting all the red packets from previous years in various colours of red, orange and gold,” said Kee.
“It took me about four days to finish all four dragons – each took me about three hours to finish one. The most interesting part of this dragon is that I managed to make it look like a 3D display. I did some sketching of the dragon on the wall using a drawing pencil and I then placed double-sided tape on the sketch before I began pasting the ang pow that I folded and shaped as its scales,” he added.
Kee also said that it has always been a habit to give a festive display that guests will appreciate and remember. “Alhamdulillah, somehow it gives me some sense of pride and I am always truly blessed for being able to share this with everyone,” said Kee. – Lyna Mohamad
