For many Beijingers, one of the main ways to celebrate the Spring Festival is to explore the temple fairs. In temple fairs, you can see many elements of Beijing culture, such as clay sculptures, hairy monkey figurines, kites, straw tie-dye, and Peking Opera masks, and experience Spring Festival traditions in Beijing.
Ditan Temple Fair
In 1985, the temple fair in Ditan was resumed for the first time. The Ditan Spring Festival Cultural Temple Fair is based on the style of the ancient altar. Due to its emphasis on national and folk characteristics, its cultural taste is unique in Beijing. It is famous at home and abroad for its high artistic flair and distinctive national characteristics. Its spectacular scenery is known as the modern version of the "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" and the Chinese carnival.
Ditan Spring Festival Cultural Temple Fair brings together operas, folk fetes, acrobatics, sacrificial rites, tea art, calligraphy, and painting, integrates ethnic, folk, traditional, modern, rural and urban cultures, and collects local famous food and miscellaneous arts together, which is a full embodiment of the great integration of the Chinese nation.
Every Spring Festival, millions of Chinese and foreign tourists gather at Ditan to appreciate Beijing's style, experience local folk customs, and celebrate the New Year. The Ditan Temple Fair has become a popular way for Beijingers to celebrate the Spring Festival and has a growing influence at home and abroad.
Time: 1st to 5th of the first lunar month, may be adjusted according to specific circumstances
Address: Andingmenwai Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Longtan Spring Festival Cultural Temple Fair
Since 1984, relying on its geographical and cultural advantages, Longtan Park has been hosting the Beijing Spring Festival Temple Fair, receiving nearly one million visitors every year. Longtan Temple Fair integrates folk art, religious practices, material exchange, and cultural entertainment. It has been held for more than 30 years and has become a large-scale traditional mass cultural event during the Spring Festival in Beijing. It is one of the four major temple fairs in Beijing and enjoys extensive popularity and influence both at home and abroad.
Time: 1st to 5th of the first lunar month, may be adjusted according to specific circumstances
Address: No. 8, Longtanlu, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Grand View Garden Temple Fair
Beijing Grand View Garden Temple Fair has been held since 1996. It is the only temple fair with a cultural theme based on Dream of the Red Chamber, the famous ancient Chinese classic masterpiece, in Beijing. It includes wonderful Beijing traditional folk performances, shadow plays, puppet shows, Xinxiang aerial stunt shows, Henan drum and lion dances, stilt walkers, health knowledge display walls, and interesting games. During the temple fair, citizens can not only enjoy rich and colorful cultural performances, but also experience the charm of Chinese traditional culture.
Time: 1st to 5th of the first lunar month, may be adjusted according to specific circumstances
Address: No. 12 Nancaiyuan Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
Beijing Chaoyang International Customs Festival
The International Customs Festival in Chaoyang District, Beijing was founded in 2002. For more than ten years, the event has brought unique scenery to Beijing during the Spring Festival. It has become one of the most popular international cultural events in Beijing during the Spring Festival. The themes vary from year to year, but they are always interesting and worth visiting.
During the event, you can enjoy Chinese and foreign cultural performances and taste special snacks. It allows you to enjoy the special snacks from all over China and experience the customs of different countries without leaving the city.
Time: 1st to 5th of the first lunar month, may be adjusted according to specific circumstances
Address: Chaoyang Park, Chaoyang District, Beijing
Beijing Tongzhou Canal Culture Temple Fair
Since 2017, Tongzhou Canal Cultural Temple Fair has been listed as one of the top ten temple fairs in Beijing. From the first day of the new lunar year, Tongzhou Canal Cultural Square in Beijing is in a blaze of red lanterns, and the popular Tongzhou Canal Cultural temple fair is bustling with tourists.
Time: 1st to 5th of the first lunar month, may be adjusted according to specific circumstances
Address: Canal Cultural Square, Tongzhou District, Beijing
Gubei Water Town Great Wall Temple Fair
Based on the Great Wall culture, Gubei Water Town Great Wall Temple Fair actively develops food culture, folk culture, leisure culture, and ice and snow culture, restores the new year scene of the Great Wall temple fair in the early years, and launches a series of events such as a temple fair market, folk flower fair, temple fair snacks, fun activities, street folk arts, ice sports, and festive lantern shows, which enriches the cultural experience of the Great Wall and allows tourists to perceive the Great Wall culture from more perspectives.
Address: Simatai Village, Gubeikou Town, Miyun District, Beijing
Jingdong Cultural Temple Fair
Jingdong Cultural Temple Fair not only enjoys the reputation of being the first temple fair in east Beijing but also enriches the cultural life of people in Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei.
The special exhibition of Tianjin and Hebei, literary and artistic performances of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, and the food exhibition and sale in the temple fair fully demonstrate the characteristic culture of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. The "Hometown of Chinese Calligraphy" exhibition hall and calligraphy corridor are built at the temple fair. Famous calligraphers from Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, and Pinggu Township, calligraphy enthusiasts, and tourists show their calligraphy skills on site, write 100,000 "Fu" (good fortune) characters and Spring Festival couplets, and give them to tourists free of charge.
Time: 1st to 5th of the first lunar month, may be adjusted according to specific circumstances
Address: Binhe Forest Park, Pinggu District, Beijing
Badachu Blessing Temple Fair
Badachu Blessing Temple Fair is a cultural event about ancient traditions and folk religions, held at the spring festival. After "disappearing" for a hundred years, since 2014, the traditional temple fair in the eight ancient temples in Xishan Region flourished again in Beijing's Badachu Park.
During the temple fair, a series of cultural events are held in the park, such as the New Year Blessing Dharma Meeting, the Opening of the Blessing Gate, the Flower Show, and so on.
Time: 1st to 5th of the first lunar month, may be adjusted according to specific circumstances
Address: Badachu Park, Beijing
(Source: Visitbeijing.com.cn)