Restaurateur named new chair of Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee

BIRMINGHAM businessman and restaurateur James Wong has been announced as the new chairman of the Birmingham Chinese Festival Committee. He succeeds Chinese business figure Jeffrey Yap, who has held the position since 2002.
 
The announcement follows the latest set of Chinese New Year celebrations, which were held at the Arcadian centre last month. The centre sits in the middle of Birmingham’s Chinatown, Southside and Theatre districts.
 
Wong, who owns the Chung Ying restaurant group – which comprises two restaurants in Birmingham’s Chinatown and a third on Colmore Row, will face an initial challenge to keep the festivals free of charge, following recent news of funding cuts.

However, he said he was confident this would not be a problem.
 
“Chinese New Year is a festival that everyone should be able to enjoy so we will keep it a free event. One of the ways we will do this is by increasing the involvement of our communities, which will help to expand the festivities outside of Chinatown and into the city,” he said.
 
“Fundraising will also be a key focus. I’d like to work with businesses both locally and nationally to help bring the festival to life. I believe we can really grow the festival by working together and creating mutually beneficial solutions for those who want to get involved, the Chinese community and the festival itself. There is so much potential that we haven’t explored yet, it’s actually quite exciting.”
 
Looking beyond the Chinese festivals, Wong is also very passionate about continuing the charitable work the committee carries out within the community.

“The festivals play a huge part in celebrating our Chinese community in Birmingham, but another important part of what we do is our work with the elderly and with children in the community. It’s about taking care of everyone around us as well as celebrating,” he said.