A free-to-attend Chinese festival will bring traditional street food, lion dancing and karate sessions to Manchester this month as the local community celebrates the annual Festival of the Moon.
Inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese Moon goddess of immortality, the festival will take place from 9-11 September in Manchester’s Chinatown.
Here, those heading down will find traditional food and drink stalls from local businesses including Wong Wong Bakery, PinWei and Chatime Manchester in the area’s central car park.
Elsewhere, there will be the opportunity to enjoy traditional Chinese lion dancing and take part in on-street kung fu and archery lessons.
It’s also rumoured a mysterious Chinese celebrity will be making an appearance at this year’s event, although details are yet to be confirmed.
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The Hong Kong style Egg Tart (蛋撻) is one of Wong Wong’s most popular items. / Image: Wong Wong Bakery
Wong Wong’s Pandan Coconut Flower Bun (香葉椰綠花包). / Image: Wong Wong Bakery
Derived from the custom of Chinese emperors worshipping the moon during the Zhou Dynasty, the Chinese Moon festival typically brings families and friends together to thank the Gods as part of the harvest season.
With a history stretching back 2,000 years, it is considered China’s second-most-important festival after the Lunar New Year celebrations.
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With roots in both Chinese and Vietnamese cultures, the origins of this age-old festival are steeped in legend.
So the story goes, the world once had ten suns and their heat ravaged the world with a terrible drought. That is, until the great archer Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns, saving life on Earth, at the request of the Emperor of Heaven.
By way of reward, he was given the elixir of immortality, which he hid in his house and planned to share with his beautiful wife, Chang’e.
However, before he returned home, his apprentice snuck in and attempted to steal the elixir. In a bid to keep it from the apprentice, his wife drank the potion alone and ascended to the heavens by herself, where it is said she then took the moon as her eternal home.
To this day, it is said that those who look hard enough can still see her likeness in the moon and the legend still lives on today in China’s Lunar Exploration Programme, which takes its name from the goddess.
Chester Zoo is offering £1 tickets to families who ‘struggle to afford’ a festive day out
Emily Sergeant
Chester Zoo is offering £1 tickets this Christmas to families who may otherwise struggle to afford a festive day out.
Christmas is a time when many of us feel strapped for cash more than ever before, especially for those families on Universal Credit, which is why Chester Zoo is embracing the season of giving by offering thousands of locals the chance to visit the UK’s largest charity zoo for a fraction of the price of normal entry tickets.
The discounted tickets will be available for anyone claiming Universal Credit on visits from today (18 December) right up until New Year’s Ever (31 December), and they’ll need to be booked online in advance.
This brilliant initiative is a new addition to the zoo’s long-running Community Connections Scheme, which aims to reduce financial barriers to visiting for households and community groups.
Chester Zoo is offering £1 tickets to families on Universal Credit this festive season / Credit: Chester Zoo
Tickets priced at £1 will be available to people receiving Universal Credit, including claimants of Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support or Jobseeker’s Allowance, and Housing Benefit.
Chester Zoo said the scheme is designed to help families on lower incomes enjoy the zoo during the festive period and connect with nature.
“We know that spending time outdoors and around wildlife can have a really positive impact on people, and we hope this helps more families enjoy a special day out together over the festive period, especially when this time of year can be difficult for many,” commented Charlotte Smith, who is Chester Zoo’s Director of Conservation Education.
“We hope this brightens the season for many more households.”
A maximum of six people per household can attend under the scheme – with children aged 12 months and under and carers admitted free of charge.
Featured Image – Chester Zoo
What's On
A candlelit Queen tribute concert is returning to Manchester
Danny Jones
Yes, you read that right: a candlelit tribute concert to the one and only Queen is coming to Manchester city centre.
In fact, it’s coming home, as this wonderful event started right here in 0161 back in 2021.
Concerts by Candlelight themselves host concerts up and down the country at various points throughout the year, but their much-loved ‘Queen by Candlelight‘ special knows all about lighting up Manc venues.
Having since gone on to become an internationally acclaimed live concert experience, we’re glad we still get to see the ‘Princes of the Universe’ on our doorstep.
Credit: Concerts by Candlelight (supplied)
With the likes of Bridgewater Hall and the magical Manchester Monastery all having played host to the promotion on many ocassions, this time Queen by Candlelight is coming to the legendary Manchester Opera House in the new year.
One of our most historic and legendary theatres, it’s only fitting, really, that they be chosen to welcome a night of equally iconic tunes.
But it’s worth reminding more casual fans that these aren’t just British rock and pop anthems; Queen‘s discography is one that still has global recognition to this day.
That’s why this specific show has been taken to virtually every corner of the world, with the incredibly talented cast of singers and musicians delighting audiences in Dubai, Australia, New Zealand and New York, to domestic crowds here in town and down in London’s West End.
‘Queenies’ or ‘Darlings’, as Freddie Mercury used to call them, can expect all the big hits, from ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and ‘We Are The Champions’, to ‘It’s a Kind of Magic’ and ‘Who Wants to Live Forever’ and plenty more from the back catalogue.
Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store this coming January:
With tickets already flying out fast, we really would recommend securing your seats early before they inevitably sell out.
To quote the promoters themselves, “this spectacular celebration of Queen’s biggest hits is guaranteed to rock you.”
Coming to the Manchester Opera House on Tuesday, 6 January, you can book your tickets for Queen by Candlelight right HERE.
And if you’ve never been to one of their candlelit events before, you only need to see how much of a ball we had at their country event earlier this year to find out how much fun they are…
Georgina Pellant -
1st September 2022 
