And it’ll be wearing a handsome coat!
Manchester will celebrate Chinese New Year next month, with events around Chinatown between February 7 and 10. And the star of the show will be a giant straw piglet which will be displayed in St Ann’s Square.
The large-scale installation will represent the year of the pig and is being created by artist and director of the Lightpool Festival Alex Rinsler. His previous works include a giant straw fox that sat atop the Southbank Centre in London in 2011 and a huge straw squirrel in the centre of Almaty, Kazakhstan. He also regularly exhibits at Burning Man Festival.
The adorably named ‘Penny Coin Piglet’ will be wearing ‘a handsome coat made from currency’, and visitors will be able to contribute their own pennies to piggy banks around the installation. The money collected will be donated to homelessness fund The Big Change and The Wai Yin Society, which supports disadvantaged Chinese families and other communities in need.
The festivities will include the return of the Dragon Parade which will process through the city centre on February 10. The 175ft dragon will set off from Albert Square at midday before making its way to Chinatown, where there’ll be lion dancing, unicorn performances and a funfair before the spectacular fireworks finale at 7pm.
Throughout the weekend there’ll be a Chinese food market in the square, as well as Chinese craft workshops at the Arndale Centre. The city’s shopping streets will be decorated with red lanterns and Manchester Central Library and Manchester Art Gallery will host special events, while promotions and VIP events will take place in city centre shops, bars and restaurants.
The celebration will begin on February 5. For more information visit the Manchester BID website.