Pupils from Webster Primary School in Moss Side visited the Yang Sing restaurant in central Manchester for a ‘master class’ in Chinese traditions, food and culture.
The Yang Sing is Manchester’s oldest Chinese restaurant and this year celebrates its 40 year anniversary.
Year 6 pupils from the local school visited the well-known restaurant, to learn more about Chinese culture, as part of a new outreach initiative by the Chinatown restaurant, with the aim of encouraging understanding of unfamiliar culture through food and fun, to inspire cultural learning.
Pupils from the school on Denmark Road were taught how to write words in Chinese Cantonese as well as a lesson on how to to use traditional Chinese chop sticks to eat traditional food.
Hosted by the Yeung family, who own and established the eatery, pupils then took part in the ‘chopstick challenge’ – a team game in which groups collected and deposited prawn crackers with chopsticks against the clock.
The group were then taken on a tour around Chinatown, learning about its historical significance to the city and the various outlets selling Chinese products, many of which are exclusive to this part of town.
Webster Primary School teacher Lesley Ann France said: “The visit to the Yang Sing was a fantastic opportunity for our year 6 pupils to enrich their understanding of Chinese culture in an exciting way.
“It is important for young people to learn about different cultures and the different ways of life of all the people that make up the great diverse city that we call home.
“What better way to make learning more interactive than to visit a the longest established Chinese restaurant in Manchester and try some of the food with the people who set it up 40 years ago.”
Bonnie Yeung, from the Yang Sing, added: “Since opening up our doors in 1977, the Yang Sing has become part of Manchester’s culinary landscape and Chinese community.
“We feel that it’s important to outreach to the different communities across the city, who might not normally have the opportunity to learn in this way.
“We thoroughly enjoyed teaching Webster Primary School pupils about Chinese traditions – and serving them some of our speciality foods that they might not previously have tried!”