Chinese New Year

If sometimes coming to Chinatown can seem a bit overwhelming, i.e., just witch one of all the restaurants do you actually choose?! Then coming to the Chinese New celebrations can be an excellent introduction to the vibe of the whole area.
Lots of the food is available cheap, meaning that you can go round trying loads of different grub rather than choosing one restaurant for the evening.
And the sights, sounds and decorations on display are all totally exciting. Chinatown is often quite a peaceful and relaxing area, but at Chinese New Year the place is completely alive.

Great idea by Kirsten to review this event, as it’s a really great piece of Manchester’s cultural appeal.
For me its one of the best events of the year, tipping the Christmas Markets and the Ramadan celebrations with ease.
Loads of great Chinese food flying around with dragons and beautiful decorations. Absolutely brilliant. Noodles and rice dishes are available extra-​cheap and extra-​fast with an array of gorgeous Chinese sauces and meats to accompany them.
Oriental food is my favourite so perhaps I am biased in favour of this celebration but I really would recommend it to everyone. Parades and all that are great, food is even better.

I’ve attended Manchester’s Chinese New Year celebrations for the past 5 years and have always had a good time, despite having no links to China myself.
These free celebrations generally involve Chinese singing, dancing and kung fu acts performing on the main stage, a 175ft dragon parade, stalls, fairground rides. The day culminates in a firework display.
It’s a great opportunity for people who wouldn’t otherwise visit Chinatown to come and explore the Chinese culture (ie. sample the yummy treats from the Chinese stalls and bakeries!).
However, this year’s celebrations were soooo busy that I left after about 10 minutes. It could be that the weather wasn’t bad and that it was held on the same day as Valentine’s Day (the restaurants were packed with couples), but the crowds were unbearable later in the afternoon and it was impossible to reach the stage area. Last year was a complete contrast, but then again it was snowing!