Beijing expats enjoy temple fairs during Spring Festival holiday

2017-01-30
cgtn.com

Temple fairs are one way to get a taste of some Spring Festival traditions. If people do not want to spend the whole week indoors and watching films, temple fairs offer an alternative, with the chance to get some fresh air and burn off a few calories.

Despite the freezing cold wind on Jan 29, huge crowds of expats flocked to the temple fair in Beijing’s Chaoyang Park, joining locals for fun. The temple fair is a tradition dating back hundreds of years. It is simply a great way to spend time with family and enjoy the holiday.

Temple fairs used to be an event for worship, in which people might pray for happiness, peace and good luck. The modern temple fair offers a wider variety of activities, such as eating, shopping and entertainment.

“It’s nice to see people outside, we are all very happy. Trying different foods and listening to different cultural shows, and just with their family, it’s very nice,” said one visitor.

“It’s nice for us to see the Chinese culture, I think it’s very nice for Chinese people to see other cultures, to hear other music, see other dances, so it’s a very nice mixture of what is the world today,” said another attendee from overseas.

This temple fair is distinguished by its international theme. Exotic performances from many other countries attract lots of attention.

“We are very excited. We flew from Manchester, England. And this is our very first time in China. We are very excited and we have met lots of very happy people who are celebrating the Chinese New Year,” said one international performer.

Temple fairs are for all. No matter what language people speak and where people come from, they can share the happiness with others at these inclusive events.