Manchester Chinatown Shopping, Chinese Arts Centre and the Imperial Arch in Manchester China Town

Shopping in Chinatown Manchester

Chinatown Manchester

See also: Street Plan of Chinatown

Chinatown is one of the busiest and most colourful areas of city centre Manchester.

Situated just behind Piccadilly Plaza, around George Street and Charlotte Street, off Mosley Street behind the City Art Gallery, the area bustles with life - tradesmen and tourists alike, and is usually particularly well worth seeing on Sundays, when ethnic Chinese traders from all over the county have traditionally descended on the area to buy in food supplies from the proliferation of small shops, herbalists, gift shops, restaurants and markets. Sadly, the recent introduction of a few large out-of-town Chinese hypernarkets has somewhat reduced the popularity of Chinatown's small shops.

Apart from a profusion of Chinese Restaurants, there are many other ethnicities represented in Chinatown, including Thai, Malaysian, Singaporean, Nepalese, Italian, French and Japanese shops and restaurants.

For the food-seeker, there is a cornucopia of restaurants to choose from, both Cantonese and Pekingese, as well as other oriental restaurants.

The Imperial Chinese Archway

The Chinese district is dominated by the Imperial Chinese Archway, a gift to the City from the Chinese people, (pictured right), the only one in Europe, and even more decorative than that found in San Francisco.

Tourists are frequently surprised by its sudden appearance as on turning a corner of one of Chinatown's busy narrow streets, this initially incongruous edifice confronts them.

Designed and built by a team of engineers from Peking, it is decorated with ceramics, lacquer, paint and gold leaf. Beside the arch are two pavilions for the foot-weary to rest, set amongst ornamental gardens.

Chinese Arts Centre

Market Buildings, Thomas Street,
Manchester M4 1EU.
Tel: 0161-832 7271.
Email: info@chinese-arts-centre.org
Website: www.chinese-arts-centre.org

The Chinese Arts Centre opened its new centre on 28th November 2003 following a grant from the Arts Council of England.

It was first established in 1986 and now acts as a national agency, which promotes, commissions and exhibits Chinese artists. It exhibits British born and international contemporary Chinese artists at its gallery and develops touring exhibitions.

Touring exhibitions include the groundbreaking Representing The People (1999) which presented a new generation of contemporary artists from mainland China to British audiences and Made in China, an exhibition of contemporary Chinese design (2001-2003).

Chinese Services in Manchester

The Chinese Advisory Service
117 Portland Street, Manchester M1.
Telephone: 0161-228 7506.
Manchester Wai Yin Chinese Women's Society
2nd Floor, Fraser House, 36 Charlotte Street, M1.
Telephone: 0161-237 5908.
Chinese Health Information Centre
39 George Street, Manchester M1.
Telephone: 0161-228 0138.
Chinese Medical Centre
2 St John Street, Manchester M3.
Telephone: 0161-839 9283.