Las Vegas ready for Chinese Lunar Year of Goat celebration

Two weeks before the lunar Chinese New Year, red lanterns, goat dolls, firecrackers and Chinese Spring Festival couplets were seen in Las Vegas, the world's entertainment and convention capital.

Bellagio resort and casino have the most elaborate exhibit under its glass conservatory and botanical garden. 22,000 red-and-gold flowers, bonsai trees hung with red lanterns, and a 14-foot mountain topped with a family of five mechanical goats were displayed this year.

The Chinese New Year decoration has been a major attraction in Bellagio, which has started the activity since 1998 when it first opened to business. The exhibition is always crowded with visitors from all over the world, who are always busy taking pictures at the scene.

The rotunda between Palazzo Resort Hotel and Venetian Resort Hotel is also decorated with colorful red-and-yellow Chinese lanterns. The display near the waterfall atrium features sheep covered in white carnations. Giant gold coins are placed among the 1,200 blooming flowers, including hyacinth and orchids.

Las Vegas saw a record 41 million visitors in 2014, approximately 1.4 million more than the previous high of 39.7 million set in 2012, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

The 2014 year-end statistics showed continued recovery for Las Vegas tourism with increases in all of the key visit indicators.

Las Vegas tourism generated more than 45 billion U.S. dollars for local economy and supported 376,000 jobs last year, according to the authority.

Another positive indicator for Southern Nevada's tourism industry is the increase of nearly 21,000 jobs in the resort industry since the recession in November 2009. Tourism supports 46 percent of all local jobs, according to the authority. Endi