Chinatown, Manchester

Manchester’s Chinatown has the largest Chinese community outside London. (The largest is in London’s Chinatown which is situated in the Soho area of the City.) Manchester is very proud of its Chinatown and its wide range of restaurants, offering a good variety of excellent cuisine.

Chinatown is easy to find. Manchester China Town is located in Manchester town centre next to Piccadilly Gardens. This is right in the middle of Manchester town centre, in the Piccadilly area of the City. This places Chinatown next to the city's principal bus station, in Piccadilly Gardens, where there is also a Metrolink tram stop, and next to Manchester's main railway station, Manchester Piccadilly.

The highlight of the Chinese year in Manchester is the annual Chinese New Year Parade. In 2009 this took place in February . New Year celebrations in Manchester include a parade which winds its way through central Manchester and ends in Chinatown.

Chinatown occupies a network of streets in the town centre bounded by York Street, Portland Street, Oxford Street and Mosley Street. Chinatown has wide selection of Chinese supermarkets, restaurants and takeaways. In addition, as it is an important centre for the Chinese community in Manchester, there is a wide range of Chinese shops and businesses, catering to the needs of the Chinese community. The area is constantly bustling throughout the week although is said that one of the busiest days is Sunday.

In addition to the great restaurants in the area, the main things to do and see in Manchester Chinatown are:-

Chinese new year celebrations – the annual Golden Dragon Parade ends up in China Town after winding its way through Manchester town centre.

Chinese Arts Centre – (Market Buildings, Thomas Street, Manchester, M4 1EU) The Chinese Arts Centre is the agency for the development and promotion of Chinese artists. The centre also includes a gallery, shop and a tea house.

Ming Dynasty Imperial Chinese Arch - A very impressive Imperial Chinese Archway. The archway was given to Manchester by the Chinese people in 1987.