Lantern Warriors To Light Up Manchester

FOLLOWING exhibits in Sydney, Colombia and Shanghai, internationally acclaimed exhibition Lanterns of the Terracotta Warriors has confirmed that Manchester will be their next UK location in January 2017.

Manchester city centre will see in the Year of the Rooster with a four day programme from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 January

The art exhibit - which was originally commissioned for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 - has been secured by the Heart of Manchester business improvement district and features 40 lantern warriors which will illuminate the city’s Exchange Square as part of Manchester’s Chinese New Year celebrations in January 2017.

The Lantern Warriors are accurate replicas of the original 8,000-strong army of clay warriors - the famous ‘terracotta army’ uncovered in 1974 in the tomb of China’s First Emperor. 

Artist Xia Nan has combined the compelling story of the Terracotta Army alongside the 2000 year old Chinese tradition of lantern-making, in the form of brightly coloured lanterns which stand at more than two metres tall. The addition of the figures of women and children represent inheritance and future.

The exhibit in Columbia

Jane Sharrocks, Heart of Manchester Business Improvement District Chair, said: “Securing this world class exhibition is a major coup for both Manchester’s Chinese New Year celebrations and the city itself. The Lanterns of the Terracotta Warriors are breathtaking and visitors can walk amongst them offering a truly immersive experience.

“Each year our celebrations get bigger and our events programme bolder, making Manchester one of the best places in Europe to spend Chinese New Year. And as Manchester’s partnership with China grows and takes to the global stage, it’s only fitting that the BID, alongside FCAM, Manchester City Council and the city’s retailers deliver the most innovative and spectacular Chinese New Year festival to date.”

Manchester city centre will see in the Year of the Rooster with a four day programme from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 January 2017, celebrating the very best of traditional and contemporary Chinese culture. More than 6,000 traditional red lanterns will adorn the city’s streets alongside a giant 50ft Golden Dragon spectacle, stunning light shows and firework displays, Chinese and Asian food villages, live music and traditional performances.