Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year in Manchester. Photo: Carl Sukonik.

Chinese New Year

Creative Tourist

Chinese New Year is always a colourful cultural highlight, bringing brightness to the dark winter days here in the UK. This is especially true for a city like Manchester, whose Chinatown buzzes all year round but becomes a veritable hive of activity come New Year.

Here are our top five picks to help you make the most of Chinese New Year:

Here are our picks

  • 1. Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art

    CFCCA

    Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art, Market buildings, Thomas Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M4 1EU - Visit now

    We’d recommend visiting the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art anytime of the year, as its exhibitions are always that little bit different from those that you get in Manchester’s other art galleries. But of course during Chinese New Year it is especially relevant, with intriguing exhibitions of contemporary Chinese art.

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  • 2. Ho’s Bakery

    Ho’s Bakery, 56 Faulkner Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 4FH - Visit now

    Buns buns buns! The aroma of Ho’s drifts down onto the street, drawing you in like Yogi Bear to a picnic basket and causing you to part with your cash in exchange for calories. No, it’s not a healthy option – even the stuff that looks like it might be vaguely savoury is packed with soft and sugary sumptuousness – but who cares when it tastes this good. Get some to eat on your journey up to the terracotta warriors at Exchange Square.

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  • 3. Siam Smiles

    Photo of the Siam Smiles shelves, with colourful bottles of drink

    Siam Smiles, 48a George Street, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M1 4HF - Visit now

    This is where we go to pick up our favourite Thai specialities that you can’t get anywhere else in the city centre. Its reputation for top Thai cuisine is well known and if you’ve not sampled their selection of soft drinks then you really should: each one is more magical than the last (although your dentist may disagree). It’s also a great place to buy ingredients, sauces and marinades for your own culinary efforts.

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