BEIJING, Feb. 20 (Xinhuanet) – Yesterday marks the first day of the Year of the Sheep. And for the next seven days, a host of celebrations will be held in Beijing. One of the first is the annual Temple Fair at Ditan Park, also known as the Temple of Earth Park.
This is one of the Beijing's busiest temple fairs. Held every year since 1985, it is a site where sacrifices were formerly offered to gods and spirits. The re-enactment of the Qing Dynasty sacrificial ceremony is one the most anticipated highlights.
The Temple fair also features all kinds of Chinese folk arts. From clay figurines to Thangkas, Chinese paper cuts and Chinese New Year posters. These are Chinese New Year posters from Weixian county of Shandong province in East China.
"The posters from Weixian county are very gentle in color and rich in content design. They depict the lives of farmers in the countryside. I think the temple fair is a great platform to showcase this type of folk art," said Zhang Yunxiang, a folk artist.
The artists from Shandong also opened a massive scroll painting depicting all the major festivals in the Chinese calendar. Fifteen meters long, it took two years to complete.
But the people are here to not only see, but also taste.
Well it wouldn't be a proper temple fair without something to tickle your taste buds, that's why snack stands are set up by the dozens behind me. Local snacks as well as delicacies from across China can be found here.
Meat kebabs are probably the most popular food here. And there's a little friendly rivalry between the Mongolian-style kebabs and Uygur-style ones. Fried doughballs dipped in sugar and other Beijing snacks as fried beef tripe also go down well with customers.
"This is my 3rd time here. I just love it here. My entire family came with me," said a visitor.
"Yes I'm very impressed. It's a great experience," said a visitor.
Temple fairs started when vendors began doing business near Buddhist and Taoist temples when people came to worship during festivals. The practice grew, gradually turning into a regular event. Beijing features at least two other temple fairs in public parks.
Other activities at Ditan Park include folk performances such as stilt walkers and puppet shows. The Temple fair will run until next Wednesday, so catch the fun before it's too late.
(Source: CNTV)
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