Happy Chinese New Year, Manchester!

The city centre is ready for the celebrations. The trees are dressed with beautiful red lanterns, with the city’s events starting today up until the 6th of February. Officially, the celebrations last up to 16 days; people in China get 7 days off of work to celebrate. As most of you probably already know, 2022 is named the ‘Year of the Tiger. The Chinese zodiac suggests that people born in Tiger years are thought to be confident, brave and competitive.

Sadly, some of the traditional events won’t be able to go ahead because of COVID restrictions, such as the parade and the firework on the last day of the celebrations. However, there are still many events to look forward to, which will mainly be held at Manchester St Ann’s Square, Chinatown and Manchester Central Library. 

New Year Celebrations at St Ann’s Square

One of the biggest traditions to celebrate the Chinese New Year is to have a large-scale structure to symbolise the year’s zodiac. This year visitors will be able to view a unique tiger’s structure made from recycled plastic and wood. It will be held in one of the most popular city’s squares from today until the 6th of February. We highly recommend visiting, whether you live locally or coming to Manchester for a day out. 

Chinatown Celebrations

Of course, Manchester’s Chinatown is the very centre of all of the festivities. You will be able to attend various workshops, funfair, live performances, and indulge in traditional street food. There will be plenty of family-friendly activities, where the little ones can view the dancing lions, acrobats and many others. You can always book a cosy spot at one of the restaurants in the area so you can enjoy the fantastic atmosphere indoors. 

Manchester Central Library

Whether you are a fan of history or photography, Manchester Central Library invites people to see the exhibition The Door Opened: 1980s China. The captivating photographs are taken by English photographer Adrian Branshaw, who explored Beijing’s life as a student back in 1984. His work continued through 3 decades, where he managed to capture China’s transformation to what it is today. The exhibition started on the 26th of January and will be on until the 26th of April.

We hope you get to attend some of the Manchester of the annual Chinese New Year celebratory events! Even though there are still some restrictions in place, you will be able to enjoy the celebrations safely.