THE 2014 Chinese New Year celebrations will be the biggest Manchester has seen to date, according to plans revealed last week. Now held city-wide, they will culminate in a weekend of activities from Thursday 30 January – Sunday 2 February to welcome in ‘The Year of the Horse’. And in 2014, for the first time, celebrations will extend into the city centre's shopping areas with retailers offering red envelope giveaways, calligraphers, themed cocktails and more.
A 175ft dragon will dance its way from Albert Square to Chinatown, where entertainment will include street food stalls, martial arts, a funfair, traditional dance and performances.
Last year over 75,000 people attended the events, which traditionally mark the start of the new lunar cycle. Leading up to the New Year weekend, thousands of traditional red Chinese lanterns will decorate the city’s streets. See them in Chinatown, Market Street, New Cathedral Street, St Ann’s Square and King Street.
On Sunday 2 February, you can watch the famous Dragon Parade. At 1pm, a 175ft dragon will dance its way from Albert Square to Chinatown, where entertainment will include street food stalls, martial arts, a funfair, traditional dance and performances. There will also be traditional Chinese arts where families can learn skills including calligraphy, origami and tangrams. The day will end with an amazing fireworks display at 6pm.
From Thursday 30 January – Saturday 1 February, St Ann’s Square will host a bustling food market showcasing some of the best Chinatown eateries including Yang Sing, Wong Wong Bakery, I am Pho, Hang Won Hang, Red Chilli and Pearl City. Alongside a pop-up bar hosted by Tiger Beer. Music and traditional performances will entertain visitors over the weekend.
Across the city, venues and attractions will be celebrating the Year of the Horse with themed activities including a screening of American Dreams in China at the Cornerhouse, with a pre-film talk by Dr William Schroeder, lecturer in Chinese Studies at The University of Manchester.
City centre casino Manchester235 will host ping pong, Mah Jong and Punto Banco tournaments throughout January. Then on Monday 3 February, they will stage their Chinese New Year party with a lion dance, luxury prize draws and red envelope giveaways.
At Manchester Art Gallery, families can enjoy music and traditional Chinese performances.
The Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art in the Northern Quarter, will be running workshops and drop-in activities in the run up to Chinese New Year and creating a horse-themed installation and window display, designed by local illustrator Lydia Meiying with help from local schools, community groups and visitors.
Cllr Pat Karney, Manchester City Council’s city centre spokesperson, said: "The Chinese community has helped shape the very fabric of Manchester and is incredibly important to the heritage of the city, playing a large part in Manchester’s history, so it's fitting that the city's Chinese new year celebrations are always a sight to behold.
"A huge number of people came into the city centre for last year's event and the 2014 celebrations are set to be even bigger and better."
