Pagoda in Chinatown gets a make-over

The Chinese Pagoda on the corner of Nicholas Street and Faulkner Street in Manchester city centre’s Chinatown is getting a face-lift.

The wooden structure, which provides sheltered seating for the community, will be given a new coat of red and green paint.
 
Funded jointly by Manchester City Council and CityCo, the work is being undertaken by offenders completing Community Payback, supervised by Greater Manchester Probation Trust.
 
In addition to the pagoda, 15 benches and the oriental-style fencing around the adjacent car park will be painted and some of the fence panels replaced.
 
Also the undergrowth is being cleared, weeds removed and oriental-looking plants including Japanese Maples and Fan Palms will replace the old shrubbery. Residents from Chinatown will take part in a planting day next week.
 
Gary Ellis, Operations Director at CityCo, Manchester's city centre management company said: "This work is part of the City's on-going commitment to the Chinese community in Manchester. The pagoda is a popular meeting place for Chinese elders and we felt it was time to give it a much-needed lick of paint and tidy-up the surrounding area. Working with Manchester City Council and the Greater Manchester Probation Trust we're able to do this."
 
Councillor Pat Karney, Manchester City Council's city centre spokesperson said: "The pagoda really is the heart of Chinatown and it's fantastic to see it looking so good. Chinatown is a really important part of our city centre which makes a massive cultural contribution to our city. It attracts huge numbers of visitors and makes a real difference to the night time economy. As one of the largest Chinatowns in Europe, it's right and proper that we do our bit to help it look the very best."
 
Kin Cheng, Chairman of the Manchester Chinatown Action Group said: "We're really pleased this work is being done. The pagoda, which is a traditional part of Chinese architecture, is at the heart of Chinatown and an important landmark. This will really help improve the area."
 
Gordon Thomson, Community Payback Officer for Greater Manchester Probation Trust, said: "Offenders at our workshop sanded down the benches and we have repainted all the fences around the car park in Chinatown. The offenders are paying back to the local community for the crimes they have committed, and are being rigorously supervised by GMPT. I'm delighted that the distinctive pagoda and surrounding area is being enhanced so that it can be enjoyed by the community and all the visitors to Chinatown."
 
Manchester's Chinatown is the second largest in the UK after London and the third largest in Europe.
 
For more information on Manchester city centre visit http://www.cityco.com/.