Los Angeles, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- South Coast Plaza, the largest shopping mall on the West Coast of the United States, welcomes the Lunar New Year with a spectacular celebration starting from Thursday night.

"South Coast Plaza continues to elevate the Lunar New Year retail celebration," Debra Gunn Downing, spokeswoman for South Coast Plaza told Xinhua. "Visitors have made it an annual tradition to come to us for exclusive and culturally relevant experiences."

A custom-designed grand Lunar New Year centerpiece was unveiled on Thursday night, with eight flying pig figures representing auspicious symbols soar over a giant figure of a cheerful pig inside an ornate pagoda.

The venue was also decorated with red lanterns and wishing tees, creating a thick festive atmosphere where people can exchange new year greetings and enjoy traditional Chinese food such as noodles and spring rolls.

In the meantime, artists from Zhejiang Conservatory of Music performed dances, Jazz music as well as traditional Chinese music and Yue Opera for visitors from Southern California and abroad.

Now on its ninth year, the celebration will last till Feb. 18. The Lunar New Year festivities will provide a variety of entertainment from lion dance, Chinese calligraphy demonstration to making lantern crafts.