YANGON, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The celebrations of the Chinese Lunar New Year kicked off on a grand scale in Chinatown in Yangon, Myanmar on Tuesday, the first day of the Year of the Pig in China's lunar calendar.

Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein extended greetings and good wishes to all the Chinese in the country and called for further cooperation for the development of the country.

The celebrations feature Chinese traditional performances, lion and dragon dances, varieties of traditional handicrafts at the booths along the road of the Chinatown which is fully decorated with red lanterns and archways.

The festive aura of the celebrations will strengthen the people-to-people ties as well as bilateral cultural exchanges between China and Myanmar, Chinese Ambassador to Myanmar Hong Liang told the inauguration ceremony.

Stage performances by troupes of local Myanmar-Chinese singers and artists from the local Guangdong Music Band will be showcased along the road in Latha township on the first night of the new year.

As part of the celebration activities, the 14th Chinese lion and dragon dance competitions will be held on Wednesday for five days by the Myanmar Lion and Dragon Dance Federation.