Thousands flock to Beijing's rejuvenated temple fairs

Bai used over 10 traditional Chinese musical instruments to write music for Fan Lihua, such as the sanxian (a three-stringed lute), the sihu (a four-stringed fiddle) and instruments from the ruan (plucked instrument) family. She also used flutes and percussion instruments, which are widely featured in Peking Opera.

"I came to the temple fair at Daguanyuan Park on Feb 10, the first day of Lunar New Year, and I was overwhelmed by the huge crowds," said Bai, a Beijing native aged in her 20s. "The show fitted the atmosphere of Spring Festival, with a story about a female hero and joyful, energetic music."

Lu was pleased the show crossed different generations.

"This year, people came to our stage and stayed for the whole show," he said. "Our show is new and fun for kids. People haven't had the experience of a temple fair for a long time and they wanted to enjoy every minute," said Lu.

The troupe also staged other shows, including an adaptation of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West.

Drawing on his own childhood, Lu remembers the thrill of going to temple fairs with his parents and four older sisters after partaking in Chinese New Year traditions, such as making dumplings and staying up all night on New Year's Eve.

"It was very cold and often snowy. Going to a temple fair was one of the most exciting things to do for children since we could have lots of snacks, candies and new toys," he said.

Acrobatic skills

Major temple fairs held during the holidays also highlighted Beijing's history and culture. Changdian temple fair held around Hepingmen and Hufangqiao streets, dates back over 400 years, according to the Beijing government. As one of the biggest and oldest temple fairs in the capital, it attracts a large number of people with stalls selling old books, antiques, traditional Chinese paintings and calligraphy.

The fair is located near Tianqiao commercial area, a former hub for folk art and small businesses. Today, folk artists still gather at Changdian temple fair to display their skills, such as xiangsheng, or crosstalk, a comedic act that is performed as a dialogue between two performers or as a solo monologue, pingshu, a form of storytelling, and martial arts.

Zhu Yi is head of the publicity department of the Beijing Folklore Museum located at the Taoist Dongyue Temple in Chaoyang district. The museum organizes the Beijing Folk Art Festival, which is in its 13th year and part of the temple's fair. It saw strong attendances this year.

"The number of people (coming to the temple fair) broke records attracting over 10,000 visitors every day," said Zhu.