NEW YORK, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- The New York-based Nasdaq stock exchange will mark the Chinese Lunar New Year on Friday with a special bell ringing ceremony to kick off the day's trading.

Zhang Qiyue, Chinese Consul General in New York, will ring the opening bell.

As one of the world's largest stock exchanges, Nasdaq has witnessed firsthand China's economic growth over the years. It has also seen closer economic and trade relationship between China and the United States.

The stock exchange has had the tradition of celebrating Chinese Lunar New Year with bell ringing ceremony for years. Every year, it put up pictures of Chinese zodiac and the phrase "Happy Chinese New Year" on its large digital screens at the Times Square.