United Kingdom · England · Manchester
Chinatown, Manchester — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Chinatown occupies a compact grid of streets in the centre of Manchester, wedged between Portland Street and Mosley Street. Its focus is the Chinese Imperial Arch, a ceremonial paifang that spans Faulkner Street. Cantonese restaurants and East Asian supermarkets line George Street and Nicholas Street, and the quarter ranks among the largest Chinatowns in the United Kingdom. Locals just call it Chinatown.
About Chinatown
Where to stay in Chinatown
Where you base yourself shapes the visit — here's the character of each area.
Staying in Chinatown puts you in the middle of Manchester's centre, a few minutes from Piccadilly Gardens and the main shopping streets. The area is known for eating rather than sleeping, so most beds sit in the larger hotels along Portland Street and Mosley Street at its edges. Choose it if you want late-night restaurants and East Asian supermarkets on your doorstep.
It suits walkers and sightseers. For a wider choice of rooms, the neighbouring Gay Village and Piccadilly both add options.
About Chinatown
What are the main landmarks in Chinatown?
Chinatown's centrepiece is the Chinese Imperial Arch, a ceremonial paifang that straddles Faulkner Street. It was among the first authentic imperial-style arches raised in Europe, and its tiled roof and painted carving mark the heart of the quarter. George Street and Nicholas Street are lined with Cantonese restaurants and bakeries, while the larger East Asian supermarkets sit along Portland Street.
Each Chinese New Year, a dragon parade winds through the arch and the streets around it. The arch defines the district.
What is the history of Chinatown?
Chinese families began settling around George Street after the Second World War, opening restaurants and grocery shops in the district's former textile warehouses. The community expanded over the following decades, and the blocks between Portland Street and Mosley Street came to be known as Chinatown. The Chinese Imperial Arch was raised on Faulkner Street in 1987.
Its ornamental detail was crafted in China. Chinatown has long served as a cultural focus for Chinese communities across northern England.
Where is Chinatown?
The district sits in Manchester city centre, a short walk south of Piccadilly Gardens. Portland Street forms its southern edge and Mosley Street its western one, while Princess Street cuts across the northeast. Faulkner Street runs through the middle, crossed by George Street and Nicholas Street, and the Gay Village lies just to the southeast along Canal Street.
It is walkable end to end.
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Updated July 2026