Great Fun at our Grand Opening!
On 8th July 2007 over 3,000 people joined us in our opening day celebrations, which were also attended by the Lord Mayor of Bristol.
The day started with a (very loud!) bang, as traditional Chinese firecrackers were lit, scaring the eager crowd a few paces back! From there, we were honoured with kind words offered by the Lord Mayor and speeches from managers Allan Tan and Raymond Chow.
As the crowds basked in the sunshine, local kung fu groups displayed their skill and energy in the form of crowd-pleasing unicorn and lion dances. However, before our customers could start shopping the unicorn and lion were both required to enter the premises, bringing luck and prosperity with them. At last, the store was officially opened by the cutting of the ribbon by the Lord Mayor, John Thornell, Allan Tan, Raymond Chow, Sandie Tan and Allison Chow.
In our outdoor market area, over a dozen suppliers helped to make the day a success by offering cooking demonstrations and food tastings. Skilled chefs showed the tricks of the trade and cooked up a storm. The wonderful aromas and flamboyant demonstrations proving to be more than enough to attract crowds of people towards the stands. You’ll be glad to hear that our fantastic staff didn’t miss out just because they were working, as we had put aside some food and drinks for them to have after the rush!
We thank our suppliers for offering their time and services to contribute to our opening day.
Throughout the day entertainment was provided by several youngsters of the Chinese community in Bristol, who played various instruments and sang contemporary pop songs. We thank them and their musical tutor, Selina Tan for organising a great show.
Our street magician, Adrian Pritchard, delighted visitors with his amazing tricks which required slight of hand and perhaps just a little bit of magic…
Finally, we’d like to thank everyone who made the day such a wonderful event especially all the friends who helped us with catering and distributing refreshments; we wouldn’t have been able to pull it off without you!
See more pictures from our opening day celebrations here: