Chinatown Arch, Manchester

Story of the arch

Work began over Christmas 1986 and was finished by Easter 1987, a year after Manchester was twinned with Wuhan. The arch was a gift from Manchester City Council to the city's Chinese community. After years of weathering, loose tiles were netted for safety, and the structure was repaired in early 2013. Manchester's Chinatown is described as the second largest in the UK and the third largest in Europe.

What to look for

Look up at the tiled roofs and the painted dragons and phoenixes along the beams. The arch spans the road, so stand on the pavement to either side for the best photographs, ideally early in the morning before the street fills. Around Chinese New Year, the area is busy with celebrations.

Exploring Chinatown

Chinatown is a compact grid of streets packed with restaurants, bakeries and supermarkets, so the arch is a natural start for a food crawl. Manchester Art Gallery is a couple of minutes' walk away for a free cultural stop, and St Peter's Square and the Alan Turing Memorial are both within easy reach on foot. Come hungry and allow time to wander the side streets as well as Faulkner Street itself.

Highlights

• Completed in 1987
• Built in China and shipped in three containers
• Gift from Manchester City Council to the Chinese community
• Decorated with dragons and phoenixes
• Gateway to the UK's second-largest Chinatown

Good to know

• Free to see at any time; it is on a public street.
• Traffic runs under the arch, so take care when taking photos.

Frequently asked questions