Manchester’s New Year celebrations may have made the city into a laughing stock… but here’s a chance for us to redeem ourselves. In the third week of February, the city will be welcoming in Chinese New Year with four days of festivities. St Ann’s Square will host a market featuring some of the best Asian food vendors around, including Yang Sing, I am Pho, and Pearl City. Martial arts demonstrations will taking place in the Arndale Centre and on Market Street. The works of leading artist Cai Guo-Quiang is being exhibited at the newly-reopened Whitworth Art Gallery. On the Sunday afternoon, a parade, complete with a 175-foot long dragon, will make its way through the city centre to Chinatown, where there will be food, craft workshops and a funfair. The celebration culminates in the early evening with the traditional fireworks display.

Thu 19 – Sun 22 Feb, St. Ann’s Square and elsewhere, chinesenewyearmcr.com

Image: Unmanned Nature by Cai Guo-Quiang for The Whitworth

Thu 19 Feb - Sun 22 Feb
Words:
A. James Simpkin
Published on:
Wed 18 Feb 2015