Temple fairs remain a firm favorite

"Spring Festival used to be a favorite time for children. We posted handwritten couplets on both sides of the door, paper-cuttings with traditional images on the window and we set off firecrackers, put on new clothes and went to temple fairs where there were all kinds of toys and snacks," said Yu Dawu, a 66-year-old painter, who recently published a picture book called Spring Festival in Beijing for children to see how people used to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Although the festival celebrations in Beijing are not as lively as they used to be, Yu said he believed the holiday's core concept hasn't changed. "Family reunions and the earnest hope for a better life in the coming year remain the same," he said.

To avoid potential risks, the Beijing tourism authority has enhanced its traffic monitoring system and ordered no free gifts to be handed over during the temple fairs.

According to the authority, the number of tourists in Beijing during Spring Festival will soar and the range of celebrations mean there are a lot of potential risks to manage.

Wang Yanyong, director of the Tourism Development and Planning Research Center of Beijing Jiaotong University, said temple fairs should connect more with current trends instead of repeating old traditions.

"Different years should have different themes and they should combine with the current entertainment trends," said Wang. "More high-tech elements should be integrated into the design of tourism products."

"Temple fairs are just like the dumplings we eat every Spring Festival Eve, they may be old and unchanged symbols of Chinese New Year, but there is still space for innovation."