More than 10,000 red lanterns are now hanging in Ditan Park in
Beijing to welcome the coming Spring Festival. Jiang Dong
Left: A salesman demonstrates Beijing's traditional way of selling
products at Daoxiangcun, one of the capital's oldest brand name
food stores. Luo Wei?Right: Children learn how to make radish
dim sum in the shapes of rats to celebrate the Chinese Lunar Year
in Hong Kong. AFP
Visiting traditional temple fairs is routine for many Chinese
celebrating the nation's most important holiday. This Spring
Festival, locals can expect something different. As the 2008 Games
approaches, the Beijing Olympics has become the highlight of almost
all the temple fairs in the capital. Besides the red lanterns, the
five Games mascots will be seen roaming everywhere at the temple
fairs.
At Longtanhu Park, in southern Beijing, visitors can try all the
28 Olympic sports, such as football, says Hu Xiangjun, the park
supervisor.
Also, there is an Olympics culture center, where people can
learn Games history, culture and etiquette. Near every park gate, a
50 m-long wall will show off pictures of all the Olympic
champions.
At the Lotus Pond Temple Fair, visitors will be invited to guess
how many gold metals China will win during the Games.
China Millennium Monument Spring Festival Culture Temple Fair
will display models of the venues of Beijing Olympics.
Left: A young woman shows her fingernails, which are painted with
auspicious images, in Xianyang, Shaanxi province. He
Jianhu?Right: A 15-feet-tall golden rat stands at the MegaBox,
a shopping mall in Kowloo, Hong Kong. China News Agency
"I'm looking forward to getting a close touch with the Olympics
in the temple fairs," says Wang Ya, a college student.
Besides the theme of the Olympics, some temple fairs also try
something else.
Ditan Park Temple Fair will invite Hello Kitty to perform and
take photos with visitors, as a warm-up for the upcoming Hello
Kitty's Dream Light Fantasy China Premiere in Beijing next
month.
For singles, the temple fair in Shijingshan Amusement Park could
be an ideal place to find their lifelong partner at a large-scale
matchmaking party. More than 10,000 white-collar professionals are
expected to participate in speed dating, says Jiao Yang, organizer
of the party.
In Beijing's neighbor Tianjin, residents will have a lot of fun
in the temple fair to be held in the Water Park.
According to the organizer, 600 master folk artists will perform
their skills in magic and acrobatics.
Left: Villagers in Rizhao, Shandong province, make steamed bread of
various shapes to celebrate the New Year. The villagers call the
bread "huamo", or "fl ower-shaped steamed bread". Chen Weifen
Right: A saleswoman wearing red envelops on her head is busy
peddling her wares in Taipei, Taiwan province. Chinese tradition
holds people should present gift envelops to relatives and friends
during Spring Festival. Liu Zonglong
You Fuwei (left) gets a photo taken with his wife and son. You, a
worker at the construction site of the subway in Hangzhou, Zhejiang
province, decides to spend his holiday in Hangzhou rather than in
his hometown in Henan. Because of the bad weather in South China,
many migrant workers must stay where they work. Xu Yu
(China Daily February 5, 2008)
