CENTRE FORWARD PERFECT FORMULA 2020 VISION PAPA DOES TEACH DRAGON ROLLS

If it sounds impetuous to dash to Hong Kong this time round, you can always plan ahead for Chinese New Year in 2020 – on Jan 25. Home to the Forbidden City, and close enough to the Great Wall for day trips, Beijing is also a fine place to take in the fun. Seven-night breaks next January to the four-star Novotel Beijing Peace, with flights from Heathrow, start at £698pp with travelbag.co.uk. If the idea of Chinese New Year is inspiration for a wider journey around the country, there is much to be said for the 16-day Wonders of China group tour offered by Wendy Wu Tours (wendywutours.co.uk). Beijing, the Great Wall, Xi’an, the Yangtze river, and Shanghai? Yes, all of that. From £2,890 a head – including flights. What if you aren’t fussed about China’s new year but you love its culture, and want to see the Terracotta Warriors? Where are they? Some of them are on a world tour longer than the Stones’s last stint on the road – and are in New Zealand, at Te Papa (tepapa.govt.nz), the national museum in Wellington (until April 22). Discover-theworld.com sells a 13-night “Essential New Zealand” trip from £1,135 a head; flights extra. Let’s be frank for a moment. Beijing and Hong Kong are a long way away – and a little cold at this time of year. Manchester is also on the chilly side – but it’s a touch closer r to your front door. And it has a wealth of Chinese New Year events slated for Feb 7–10 – not least a Dragon Parade on the he Sunday. See visitmanchester.com. Any trip to Hong Kong will provide a chance to see the Xiqu Centre, which opened in January. Typically for the city, this devoted space for the performance of a very traditional art form, Cantonese opera (xiqu), is strikingly modern. Its entrance is designed to resemble parted stage curtains. For more information see westkowloon.hk/en/xiqucentre. Alternatively, cool your boots for a few weeks before heading to Hong Kong – as March is a busy time for the city. It’s Arts Month – which means a host of music and theatre events (see discoverhongkong.com). The HKWalls bonanza of street art (hkwalls.org) will run from March 23 to 31. And the latest Formula E race of electric cars will buzz round town on March 10. Tickets from HK$1,440 (£139); fiaformulae.com.