SHANGHAI, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- It was the second Lunar New Year that Sander van Delden, from the Netherlands, celebrated in Shanghai.

Van Delden works at The Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai hotel. On Friday, the first day of the Chinese Lunar Year of Dog, he and his colleagues had a "traditional" celebration.

Two "lions" danced while the "God of Fortune" sent blessings to everyone in the hotel. Van Delden handed out red envelopes full of money to his Chinese colleagues.

"May the Year of the Dog be inspirational, powerful and successful, filled with love, passion and laughter!" Van Delden wrote on messaging app WeChat.

People from all over the world have celebrated their own Lunar New Year in Shanghai.

Cheng Xiong, from southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality, had to work in Shanghai on the eve of the new year, so his parents came to visit him.

During the holiday, Cheng took them to the Yu Garden Resort to enjoy a traditional lantern show. Cheng's neighbor, an older local woman, told him that walking through the zigzag bridge at Yu Garden would bring a smooth year.

Celebrations took place at many tourist destinations in Shanghai. Wildlife parks, museums and ancient townships surrounding the city organized special activities for the Lunar New Year.

Official data showed Shanghai received some 4.4 million visitors during the week-long holiday. The Bund, shopping malls along Nanjing Commercial Road, museums and tourist attractions welcomed growing numbers of visitors.

A Shanghai resident surnamed Zhao booked a two-day stay at a local hotel for her parents, who are too old to travel outside the city. The family enjoyed the leisure time and the festive atmosphere in the hotel.

"My mother is an old-fashioned Shanghai woman, spending almost all her time cooking, washing and keeping the house tidy for the family all year round. She deserves some relaxation," she said.

With the help of a real-time monitoring system by Shanghai municipal authorities, which can be accessed via website or Wechat, Cheng knows which resorts are overcrowded. He intends to accompany his parents around some ancient townships before the holiday ends.

But for van Delden and his colleagues in the hospitality industry, who were busy during the new year holiday, the end of the festival brings a welcome break.

"Some of my Chinese colleagues are taking leave during the Spring Festival, so I can take a break after they return," he said.