GET RED-Y TO SEE IN NEW YEAR

CITY WILL BE TRANSFORMED INTO A FESTIVE WONDERLAND FOR THE LUNAR CELEBRATION

- JENNA CAMPBELL

NEXT week, Chinese New Year celebrations will get under way.

This year, it falls on a Wednesday but many will celebrate throughout the week and into the weekend.

As many visitors will have already have noticed, Manchester's city centre streets have already been adorned with thousands of red lanterns to mark the special occasion.

And on February 1 and 2, Manchester's Chinatown will host a weekend of festivities including the much-loved dragon parade.

The city centre district will be transformed into a festive wonderland with red lanterns, music, performances and family-friendly activities throughout the two days to celebrate the official start of the Year of the Snake.

The event is also known as Spring Festival and as Lunar New Year to other Far Eastern countries.

Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival and has been celebrated in China for thousands of years, with different types of activities across the different regions of China.

Traditionally, the New Year celebrations are centred around removing the bad and the old and welcoming the new and the good.

Also celebrated by Chinese communities outside of China, events and celebrations such as lion dances, dragon dances and flower markets are just some of the many ways it is marked.

As part of the weekend celebrations in Manchester, there will be a huge procession featuring a stunning traditional dragon alongside acrobatic performances, dancers and drummers.

Also in Chinatown there will be a food market featuring snacks, street food and meals from local vendors, plus live music and a acrobatic troupe performance.

Below you will find all the timings and event information for the Chinese New Year Dragon Parade.

Here is all a list of all the events and activities taking place across Greater Manchester to celebrate.