BUENOS AIRES, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese New Year celebrations continued to thrill residents in Buenos Aires on Saturday, with a series of cultural events to welcome the Year of the Dog.

The celebrations, which will wrap up on Sunday, filled the Dot Baires shopping center in the north of the Argentina's capital, which was festooned for the occasion with red banners and lanterns, and a giant inflatable golden dragon.

The center staged traditional Chinese songs and dances, and offered calligraphy and painting workshops, among other attractions.

"This really makes many children and adults see what the culture of other countries is like. I like it very much, the food as well," a member of the audience said.

Crowds gathered to watch classic dragon and lion dances and hear Chinese singer Wu Yin.

"We know quite a lot about Chinese culture and we have been joining in the celebrations since 2011," audience member Miguel said. "There are many things that we like and are good to take into account, like the (Chinese) philosophy of life."

The main venue for the celebrations has been the city's Plaza of National Parks, also in northern Buenos Aires, where as many as 80,000 people attended the initial Feb. 10-11 weekend that kicked off the festivities.

As a special treat this year, a 30-member artistic troupe from Hangzhou, capital city of the east China's Zhejiang province, thrilled festivalgoers with their singing, dancing and acrobatics.

The events were co-organized by the city of Buenos Aires and the Chinese embassy.

Celebrations for the Chinese New Year used to be held in the city's Chinatown, but gradually became so popular that they had to be moved to a larger venue.