After four years of very quiet Spring Festivals, thing finally returned to normal this year, and the temple fairs were back! We visited two of Beijing’s temple fairs at Tongzhou Grand Canal Park and Dongyue Temple and made a video to show you what they were like.
Read on to find out more about the temple fairs and see the video!
Tongzhou Grand Canal Park Temple Fair (until February 24th; free of charge) 通州大运河公园庙会
This fair isn’t held in a temple, and tends to be a more modern affair, although we noticed this year that there were a lot more traditional craftspeople than in previous years (we live in Tongzhou so have been going to this temple fair for over a decade). There were still lots of games and food vendors too of course, and plenty of performances. Also unlike in previous years it was free!
To get there, take subway line 6 to either Beiyunhexi or Tongzhou Beiguan and walk along the canal to the Grand Canal Cultural Plaza.
Dongyue Temple Temple Fair (until February 14th; 10 kuai per person)
东岳庙庙会
The beautiful temple surroundings make this a much more atmospheric location for a temple fair, and perhaps a little more like the original temple fairs (find out more about the history of temple fairs in the video below). People go not only for the large variety of traditional crafts and activities on offer, but to worship the various gods enshrined in the temple.
To get there, take subway line 2 to Chaoyangmen, or line 6 to Dongdaqiao, and then walk for a few minutes to the temple.
Take a look at the video below (don’t forget you’ll need your VPN on in currently on the Chinese mainland!). Don’t have a VPN? Then take a look at the full video on our Official Channel on WeChat! Just search for CulturalKeys!
Please note that times, locations and prices are subject to change, and anyone planning travel should always confirm details in advance to avoid inconvenience.
Did you visit any temple fairs this Spring Festival? Any tips or advice for the rest of us for next year? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear your thoughts and insights!
Photo Credits
– Cultural Keys
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