LONDON, 2015-2-13 — /Travel PR News/ — VisitBritain’s GREAT China Welcome programme aims to make Britain the most welcoming destination in Europe for Chinese visitors. The programme has over 250 member hotels, attractions and activities which all excel in looking after Chinese visitors. Here’s how just a few of them are celebrating or marking Chinese New Year.
A stunning wax figure of celebrated Chinese actress, Li Bing Bing（李冰冰), has been revealed at Madame Tussauds Londonas the world famous attraction gets ready to wish Londoners and international visitors “Kung Hei Fat Choi”. The figure was unveiled by Deputy Mayor, Stephen Greenhalgh（大倫敦副市長格林哈爾希), as the London Chinese Chinatown Association (LCCA倫敦華埠商會) announced its plans to mark The Year of the Sheep with the largest Chinese New Year celebrations outside Asia, culminating in a parade and festival in Trafalgar Square（特拉法加廣場） on Sunday February 22, 2015.
Selfridges will be launching exclusive Chinese New Year gift cards, tucked inside lucky red envelopes. They will also have an in-house calligrapher creating uniquely designed cards, complimentary with any purchase made in The Wonder Room and Burberry will also have their own expert who will be personalising envelopes with traditional Chinese calligraphy, complimentary with any Burberry purchase. Shoppers can also master the art of the traditional China doll makeup look with the help from one of RMK’s expert makeup artists.
At Fortnum & Mason, from 5th-19th February, customers who pay with UnionPay cards will receive a chocolate coin and a red envelope containing a voucher, which entitles them to a complimentary tin of tea and a private tea tasting experience with an expert Tearista when they book an Afternoon Tea for two. While, at the store’s St Pancras, T5 and Piccadilly outlets, Chinese New Year items, such as gold coins in all sizes will be on sale as well as Chinese New Year cocktail, the Firecracker, which consists of Sencha Tea, lemon juice, Williams Chase orange gin and orange and ginger preserve.
Liverpool is using Chinese New Year to launch a ‘Fab Four’ package, covering entrance to The Beatles Story visitor attraction, a two-hour Magical Mystery Tour which takes you down Penny Lane and around Strawberry Fields as well as to the childhood homes of the Fab Four, an evening at the world famous Cavern Club and an overnight stay at the Hard Days Night Hotel. The package is exclusively available to the Chinese travel trade at a trade cost of just £115.95 per person. For more details contact Anna Upton on +44 (0)151 236 1964 or email anna.upton@harddaysnighthotel.com.
In Manchester, you can celebrate the 2015 Chinese New Year at intu Trafford Centre, Manchester where the Orient main stage will come to life as a team of performers from China display an array of amazing kung fu and acrobatic skills. Meanwhile at The Bandstand you can find out your Chinese zodiac sign and see which lucky animal represents your birth year plus a great collection of colourful arts and crafts, perfect for gifts with a little bit of good fortune and see the traditional art of Chinese Tea Ceremony. Find out more at www.intu.co.uk/traffordcentre/events
Back in London, the Houses of Parliament will extend its welcome to Chinese visitors with guided tours in Mandarin becoming part of the regular tour schedule. Initially two tours per day led by Mandarin-speaking Blue Badge guides will be offered. These are in addition to the audio tours in Mandarin that are already available throughout each tour day. These tours will be available to visitors from the UK and overseas on Saturdays throughout the year and on most weekdays during Parliamentary recesses including February, Easter and the summer. Tickets can be purchased online, or by calling +44 (0)20 7219 4114. Information for group travel organisers and members of the travel trade wishing is available on the Groups and travel trade page.
Head Chef Ken Wang has created two fantastic four–course new year menus at the Chinese Cricket Club restaurant in the City of London, both featuring a selection of decadent Chinese New Year-inspired lamb dishes. Building on tradition, every Chinese New Year menu dictates that certain dishes should also be included, such as fish to symbolise wealth and richness, and the Chinese rice cake to signify an up-lift for the New Year. Email info@chinesecricketclub.com / telephone 020 7438 8051.
Another of London’s top Chinese restaurants, Hakkasan (www.hakkasan.com) is honoring the Chinese “Wishing Tree” tradition by collecting wishes from around the world as well as offering a nine dish festive feast perfect for family and friends during this celebratory time. Its sister restaurant, Michelin-starred Chinese dim sum teahouse Yauatcha (www.yauatcha.com) has formed an exclusive collaboration with global endeavour The Campaign for Wool. The brands have transformed the restaurant by designing a Year of the Sheep pop art window display in addition to an unconventional art gallery and wool makeover within the Soho restaurant.
Finally the National Museum Cardiff (http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/cardiff/zh_lang/) – a free museum showcasing world class art and natural history – has produced a new Chinese captioned film about its collections.
To see the full list of GREAT China Welcome members see http://www.ukgcw.com/ (Mandarin only) or http://www.joomag.com/magazine/great-china-welcome-directory-of-members-december-2014-december-2014/0142074001419335973?short (directory in English and Mandarin).
For more information contact:
- VisitBritain Media Team
- t:+ 44 (0) 20 7578 1000
- e: pressandpr@visitbritain.com