In less than two days, the Year of the Rabbit will come to an end. However, the Chinese are already busy celebrating the impending beginning of the New Year -- the Year of the Dragon.
According to Chinese culture, the dragon -- representing power and strength -- is the most powerful animal in the Chinese zodiac.
The Chinese community in the Canadian town of Calgary began their three days of celebration on Friday; for the entire Asian community, including the Vietnamese and the Koreans, it will be a weekend of feasting.
The Chinese Cultural Center in Calgary will be the hub for all of this weekend's New Year's activities, with a number of planned festivities, the Calgary Herald reported.
Visitors take pictures in front of a dragon-shaped lantern which has been set up for the upcoming Lunar New Year in Beijing, January 7, 2012. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, begins on January 23 and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese zodiac. Picture taken January 7, 2012.ReutersA woman works on a decoration for the upcoming Lunar New Year of Dragon at Confucian temple in Nanjing, Jiangsu province January 15, 2012. In the year of the Black Water Dragon, investors could get torched again if they leap back into the market too soon. But the outlook is expected to brighten considerably later in the year. In a world of economic turmoil that's scorched investors, it's tough to make predictions, but that's the forecast for Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index if one follows the principles of feng shui - the ancient Chinese art, or science, based on 'Qi', the natural flow of energy - according to brokerage CLSA. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, begins on January 23 and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon, according to the Chinese zodiac. Picture taken January 15, 2012.ReutersA woman gestures next to a symbol depicting the year of the dragon for the upcoming Chinese New Year in Beijing January 18, 2012. In the year of the Black Water Dragon, investors could get torched again if they leap back into the market too soon. But the outlook is expected to brighten considerably later in the year. In a world of economic turmoil that's scorched investors, it's tough to make predictions, but that's the forecast for Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index if one follows the principles of feng shui - the ancient Chinese art, or science, based on 'Qi', the natural flow of energy - according to brokerage CLSA. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, begins on January 23 and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon. Picture taken January 18, 2012.ReutersTwo dragons are seen on a Chinese New Year banner on a street in Singapore, January 16, 2012. In the year of the Black Water Dragon, investors could get torched again if they leap back into the market too soon. But the outlook is expected to brighten considerably later in the year. In a world of economic turmoil that's scorched investors, it's tough to make predictions, but that's the forecast for Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index if one follows the principles of feng shui - the ancient Chinese art, or science, based on 'Qi', the natural flow of energy - according to brokerage CLSA. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, begins on January 23 and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon. Picture taken January 16, 2012.ReutersA dragon-designed Chinese Lunar New Year decoration is seen on a wall in Singapore, January 16, 2012. In the year of the Black Water Dragon, investors could get torched again if they leap back into the market too soon. But the outlook is expected to brighten considerably later in the year. In a world of economic turmoil that's scorched investors, it's tough to make predictions, but that's the forecast for Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index if one follows the principles of feng shui - the ancient Chinese art, or science, based on 'Qi', the natural flow of energy - according to brokerage CLSA. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, begins on January 23 and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon. Picture taken January 16, 2012.ReutersA dragon-design embroidery for the Chinese Lunar New Year is seen in Singapore, January 16, 2012. In the year of the Black Water Dragon, investors could get torched again if they leap back into the market too soon. But the outlook is expected to brighten considerably later in the year. In a world of economic turmoil that's scorched investors, it's tough to make predictions, but that's the forecast for Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index if one follows the principles of feng shui - the ancient Chinese art, or science, based on 'Qi', the natural flow of energy - according to brokerage CLSA. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, begins on January 23 and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon. Picture taken January 16, 2012.ReutersA billboard promotes the upcoming Chinese New Year in Beijing January 18, 2012. In the year of the Black Water Dragon, investors could get torched again if they leap back into the market too soon. But the outlook is expected to brighten considerably later in the year. In a world of economic turmoil that's scorched investors, it's tough to make predictions, but that's the forecast for Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index if one follows the principles of feng shui - the ancient Chinese art, or science, based on 'Qi', the natural flow of energy - according to brokerage CLSA. The Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, begins on January 23 and marks the start of the Year of the Dragon. Picture taken January 18, 2012.Reuters
