THE five-star Kempinski Hotel Shenzhen ushered in the holiday season with their 12th annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony Wednesday evening. Around 100 guests, representatives from business partners and the local media, attended a cocktail party at the lobby lounge before the spectacular tree at the hotel’s front gate was lit up with a touch upon a glittering globe by Raymond Su, resident manager. Three beautiful girls dressed in white and wearing flower wreaths in resemblance of Saint Lucia, a young Christian martyr, held candles as they walked in succession and led guests to the outdoor ceremony. The 10-meter-tall tree took the hotel’s staffers nearly a month to put up and decorate, as it’s a tradition of the environmentally-minded hotel to reuse it for years. Patterns of angels and bells made of neon lights shimmer glamorously. “An indispensable symbol of the holiday season, a lit Christmas tree brings us warmth and hope. People hang cards written with their wishes on the tree, praying for a better year to come,” said an emcee at the ceremony. The hotel’s staffers also performed familiar Christmas carols such as “Jingle Bell” for guests. “Saint Nicholas” and his American counterpart “Santa Claus” brought fluffy toys to children at the event, and lucky guests were given gifts of dinner vouchers, room vouchers and Bordeaux red wines through three rounds of lucky draws.(Debra Li) |