Come 2017, come the year of the rooster in the Chinese lunar calendar.
While our new year kicks off on January 1, the Chinese New Year arrives on January 28 in 2017, and with it we wave goodbye to the year of the monkey
Chinese New Year is the Spring Festival and each year is denoted by an animal that cycles over a 12 year period. New year, meanwhile, is marked by days of celebrations featuring feasts, dragon dances, and elaborate outdoor events.
This year’s animal, the rooster, is the only bird in the Chinese zodiac. People born in the year of the rooster are usually characterised as hardworking and confident, but also courageous and honest.
Manchester has one of the oldest and largest Chinese communities in the UK, with a fabulous corner of the city dedicated to Chinese culture and food.
In recognition of that, Manchester’s Business Improvement District (Heart of Manchester BID), FCAM (Federation of Chinese Associations of Manchester), and Manchester City Council come together every year to lay on a brilliant calendar of events that welcome in the Chinese new year.
Here are some of the biggest ones to watch out for over the CNY weekend of January 26-29, 2017.
The Dragon Parade
(Photo: Sean Hansford)
This traditional parade – led by a spectacular 175-foot dragon – has become as big an event in Manchester as it is in any global city. Thousands line the route from Albert Square to Chinatown, where there are additional lion dances, street markets, and stages for dancing, music, and acrobatics set up, plus a funfair.
Timings for the day are:
12pm: Dragon arrives and musicians perform in Albert Square
1pm: The Dragon Parade leaves Albert Square
2pm-5pm: Stage shows and fun fair opens in Chinatown
6pm: Fireworks finale over Chinatown
When: 12pm-6pm, January 29
Where: Albert Square to Chinatown down Portland Street
The Lanterns of the Terracotta Warriors
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This extraordinary art project will be set up in Exchange Square, on the slopes and pavements outside the Corn Exchange.
The Lanterns of the Terracotta Warriors is a travelling art installation and features 40 brightly coloured, light up, exact replicas of some of the 8,000 famous clay statues that guard the tomb of the first Emperor of China.
The work was originally commissioned for the Beijing Olympics Games in 2008 and have already travelled the globe to Sydney, Zagreb, Prague and beyond.
When: 10am-9pm, January 26-29
Where: Exchange Square
The CNY street food market
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Food has always been a feature of the Chinatown market, typically indulged in after the dragon’s arrival. But this year, a giant red marquee will be setting up home in St Ann’s Square to host some of the city’s best Chinese food and drink purveyors – including Yang Sang, Dim Sum Su, Rice Bowl, Mei Mei’s Street Cart and Tampopo.
Expect to be eating some of the traditional foods of the season, such as steamed buns (Gau Bau), Jianbing, and dim sum.
Cantonese kitchen Yang Sing will be hosting additional family-friendly dim sum making workshops, competitions, and prize giveaways as it celebrates its 40th year.
When: 11am-7pm, January 26-29
Where: St Ann’s Square
The giant Chinese golden dragon
Part of the plan to get us posting pretty pictures on social media this year, a glittering giant Golden Dragon will be bedding in to its river-side spot in Greengate Square, just across the River Irwell into Salford.
Here you can selfie snap your encounter with him and post it using the hashtag #chinesenewyearMCR.
When: 10am-8pm, January 26-29
Where: Greengate Square, opposite Manchester Cathedral
Chinese Film Forum
HOME has invited some of the top names in contemporary Chinese cinema to bring their latest shorts films to Manchester – many of them drawn from the Hong King International Film Festival’s Beautiful series, which includes work from the likes of Jia Zhangke, Lu Yue, Tsai Ming-Liang and Ann Hui.
The event is supported by the Confucius Institute at the University of Manchester.
When: 6.15pm, January 25
Where: HOME, First Street
Lion Dancing on Market Street
(Photo: Sean Hansford)
Brighten up your lunch hour in the city centre by catching one of the hourly dances that the lion will be delivering at the bottom of Market Street, close to the Boots store.
When: 1pm, 2pm & 3pm, January 26-28
Where: Market Street
Chinese contemporary art at CFCCA
The Centre For Contemporary Chinese Art leads this multi-gallery exhibition of work by Suki Chan and Joe Ford.
Chan explores the complex relationship between the human eye, the brain and vision in Lucida in galleries 1 and 2 (free), while Joe Ford runs a cyanotype tote bag printing workshop in the Jasmine Suite, in which visitors can draw or collage their own design using the cyanotype (a photographic printing process) technique (£4, drop in, all ages).
When: Chan – January 26-April 30; Ford – 1pm-4pm, January 28
Where: Thomas Street
Live Chinese music in St Ann’s Square
Henry Fung is one of the local Chinese musicians chosen to create the soundtrack to the 2017 celebrations, created on traditional and contemporary instruments and running for four days – all free – in the square.
On Saturday, January 28, Manchester’s Confucius Institute take things back to the traditional with a day of sounds made on the oldest Chinese instruments, including erhu, zither, and Chinese guitar. There’ll also be folk music originally written by ethnic minorities of the region, such as Mongolian and Tajiks people, throughout the afternoon.
St Ann’s Church, meanwhile, welcomes the University of Manchester’s chamber choir Ad Solem to perform three special pieces of music commemorating the institute’s 10th anniversary as well as other traditional Chinese New Year songs.
When: 12pm-6pm, January 26-29
Where: St Ann’s Square
The Travelling Light Circus’ giant rooster
Prepare to make way for more than traffic on Deansgate on the weekend of Chinese New Year, as the Travelling Light Circus turns it into a playground for its dancers, drummers, stiltwalkers, and a giant rooster.
The 10-strong troupe will be dressed in red, black, and gold and will be kicking up a carnival atmosphere.
When: January 27-28
Where: Deansgate
MCFC at CNY
(Photo: Matt Ratcliffe)
Event sponsors Manchester City Football Club transfer the fun of their stadium fan zone to New Cathedral Street with special pop-up space packed with exclusive Manchester City merchandise, games, and experiences.
When: Dates and times TBC
Where: New Cathedral Street
Arts and Crafts workshops
There are several places to get stuck in this CNY and learn some of the most important art and craft techniques the country has. Here are a few that caught our eye:
Calligraphy with Manchester Confucius Institute at Virgin Money Lounge (12pm-4pm, Jan 28, free)
Badge and lantern-making at Manchester Arndale, Exchange Court (11am-5pm, Jan 28, free)
Wonder Turner workshops , creating 19th century optical toys with Suki Chan, at Manchester Arndale (11am-5pm, Jan 28, free)
When: January 28-29
Where: Various venues / as listed
Exhibits and engravings at Selfridges
(Photo: Manchester Evening News)
A Window On…Chinese New Year is Selfridges’ reflection on recent exhibitions in the city, which they’ll be projecting across their store front, as well as a chance to bring some traditions into the shop.
In-store activity includes Chinese calligraphy creating personalised cards (January 28-29 & February 4-5), live fashion illustrator Dom&Ink (February 4-5), surprise and delights red envelopes with a variety of treats to be won including beauty treatments and afternoon tea, fragrance bottle painting (January 28-29 & February 4-5) and complimentary engraving and embossing.
When: January 28-29 & February 4-5
Where: Selfridges, Exchange Square
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