After a long hiatus due to the pandemic, temple fairs (春节庙会 Chūnjié Miàohuì), an integral part of the Chinese New Year holiday, have been reopened in Beijing. Temple fairs were originally cancelled back in 2020 when the initial Covid outbreak hit China, and since then it’s been a long three years for them to come back.
Some major temple fairs, like the one held at Ditan Park, will not be happening this year (the park will still be holding some cultural activities, more on that below), there are still a handful of ways to experience this quintessential part of Spring Festival in Beijing.
Badachu Temple Fair
Located just south of Xishan National Forest Park, Badachu Temple Fair is one of the most popular temple fairs among Beijingers. With these fairs, its not jusst about sending prayers and blessings, but noshing on good grub as well, and the Badachu Temple Fair stands out for its imperial Chinese snacks on offer.