Things to do during Spring Festival in Beijing

Editor's Note:The Spring Festival, also known as Chinese New Year, is the most important festival for people in China and other neighboring countries, comparable to Christmas in the West. Family members try every means to get together before the Spring Festival Eve for the celebrations. The festival starts on the first day of the first lunar month – often one month later than the start of the year on the Gregorian calendar – and ends with Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month. Temple fairs Temple fairs guide in Beijing The tradition of a "temple fair" (Miao Hui) began as groups of vendors who did business near Buddhist and Taoist temples when many pilgrims came to pay tribute to the gods during traditional festivals. The practice grew, gradually turning into a regular event. Now temple fairs are an important and joyful destination for Chinese people during festivals, most especially the Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year. Temple fairs in Beijing have a very long history, dating back to around 1000 AD, when they were called "Spring Outings," and saw a boom especially during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) as well as the Republic of China (1912-1949). Major temples all have their own festivals, some of which are held regularly. During the Spring Festival, the temple fair is one of the most important activities, and a traditional cultural event that features all kinds of Chinese folk art. So far, there have been more than 10 major temple fairs held each year in Beijing. In traditional temple fairs around Beijing, there are performances and booths demonstrating and selling traditional arts and crafts. The fairs have lots of games to play, food to eat, and performances to see, which attract lots of people. In the temple fairs you can taste numerous kinds of local snacks, court foods, and other dishes. Most temple fairs feature dragon and lion dances, waist drum dancing, lotus blossom fairy dances, ground and clam dancing, as well as other folk performances, and some even stage traditional wedding ceremonies. For foreigners, a temple fair is definitely a cultural experience, because it airs Chinese cultures from a very detailed perspective. While enjoying the samplings of Chinese delicacies, you can appreciate craftsmanship and artworks displayed by local artisans. Nowadays, going to temple fairs has become a Spring Festival routine for residents in Beijing.  Movies & shows 'Bonnie Bears 4' The fourth installment of "Bonnie Bears" franchise is set to sweep the children's market during the Spring Festival. The animated feature "Bonnie Bears: Entangled Worlds," directed by Lin Huida and Lin Yongchang, performed strong at box offices and raked in more than 20 million yuan in limited advance screenings nationwide on Saturday. It will officially debut during Spring Festival, which falls on January 28 this year. 'Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back' "Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back," one of the most anticipated films of the year, is aiming to become the Spring Festival box office champion and breaking new box office records. Eating in Beijing: Hot Food Spots Donghuamen Night Market By following the wafting aroma of cooking, tourists can find the most natural and simple flavors of Old Beijing in the street. Located at the northern entrance of Wangfujing Street, Donghuamen Night Market is the most famous snack streets in Beijing, popular with both locals, and tourists as well. After its pedestrianization, Donghuamen Snack Night Market became the No. 1 snack street in Beijing. When the night falls, the assortment of tasty snacks from both northern and southern China, plus the bustling crowds and rhythmical huckstering is another worthy attraction in Beijing. Niujie Niujie is located at Guang'anmen in the southern part of Beijing. The district is home to the largest concentration of Muslim people in Beijing. Here the rich Muslim culture has cultivated a distinguished cuisine. Truly this is a street of Muslim food. Today some 200 different snacks are produced at Niujie. Sanlitun Sanlitun is an area of cuntrasts, frequented by expats and foreign visitors. With a top-notch selection of Western and Asian restaurants, you will find anything your taste buds are looking for. Turn off one of the leafy, tree-lined streets fringed with guarded foreign embassies however, and you will find yourself on bar street, which is anything but guarded, a hubbub of nightlife and entertainment that continues into the wee hours. Guijie (Ghost Street) Guijie (Ghost Street) is located near Dongzhimen. This 1.5-km street is lined with over 100 restaurants, many of which are open around the clock. Business is particularly booming at night, when the street is lit-up by red lanterns, and the fragrance of chili and prickly ash is all-pervasive. The restaurants here serve a great diversity of dishes, including Sichuan, Shandong and Canton dishes, as well as snacks, barbecue, hotpot and ethnic minority dishes. How to get there: the most convenient is to take subway Line 2 to Dongzhimen, leave through Exit A or D, then walk. Bus 107, 106, 24, 117 all directly go to Guijie. Nanluoguxiang Located several kilometers north of the Forbidden City and just east of Houhai Lake is Nanluoguxiang, an 800-meter long north-south alleyway filled with cafes, bars, and shops all designed in classical Chinese 'hutong' style. This heavily renovated hutong is a heaven for backpackers. Popular spots include the Passby Bar(Western and Chinese food, gin and tonics, lovely courtyard atmosphere.), eateries like Paper, cheeky Beijing-themed T-shirt vendor Plastered 8 (www.plastered.com.cn), gig venue MAO Livehouse and the late night snack outlet Fish Nation. Shichahai This gorgeous spot has three lakes, Qianhai, Houhai and Xihai, all surrounded by old style Beijing houses, hutong and courtyards. Not only beautiful, this charming expanse is complete with historical architecture and a bunch of bustling bars and restaurants. How to get there: Take Trolley Bus 111 and 118 or Bus 13, 701, 810, 850 and 823 to get off at the stop of Beihai Northern Gate, or take Bus 5 to get off at Gulou stop. Shopping in Beijing: Stores & markets Xidan Shopping Center Xidan is a major traditional commercial area in Beijing, China. It is located in the Xicheng District. The Xidan commercial district incorporates the Xidan Culture Square, North Xidan Street, as well as many supermarkets and department stores. The Xidan Cultural Square is the largest venue for cultural events in downtown Beijing. The Silk Street Market The Silk Street Market in Beijing, which has long offered copies of international designer and branded goods, has unveiled its own brand-SILKSTREET-and warned that anyone who tries to counterfeit that brand will be held liable. The Silk Street (Xiushui) market in eastern Beijing's Chaoyang District has become popular with overseas tourists, who have flocked there to buy counterfeit and knock-off luxury clothes and accessories since 1985. In March 2005, the outdoor market moved to a multi-story building next to Xiushui Street for better management. Tea street Maliandao tea street in Xuanwu District has everything a tea lover could dream of. With tea being one of the luxury products produced domestically, it is now going through a renaissance with the burgeoning Chinese upper class. Beijingers, who once snubbed southern Chinese teas, are quickly becoming connoisseurs and buying expensive, aged pu'er brick teas and the highly valued, exclusive qingming green teas. Seeing this booming market, top producers from all over the country send spokesmen to Maliandao to open teashops. So it's also the best place in Beijing to learn from regional experts about Chinese tea. Sanlitun Village The shopping center is designed not just for shopping, but also as a community, a place for art, culture and to spend leisure time. Plenty of famous stores have opened here: Artini, Columbia, Lacoste, Levi's, Mizuno, Steve Madden, adidas' biggest flagship store, China's first direct-sales Apple store, Puma's biggest flagship store in Asia and Fossil. There are also quite a few children's wear and toys stores, where parents can find lovely toys and clothing for their kids. More stores are scheduled to open in the area, including Folli Follie, Swatch, and McDonald's and Hatsune. The shopping area is set to become another hot spot in Sanlitun. Hong Zhi Teashop Owner Hong Zhi from Anhui province has set up one of most reputable and relaxing shops on Maliandao. His selection of Anhui teas is unbeatable and the employees here are knowledgeable on teas from all over China; a rarity as most people in the tea industry believe only tea from their home province is worth mentioning. Try their Monkey King green tea from Taiping Lake (Taiping houkui), or keemun black teas (qimen hongcha) all made in Hong Zhi's home province, some even made on his brother's farm. Location: 10 Maliandao Chaye Jie, Xuanwu District Opening hours: Daily 8am-10pm Tel: 010-6342-4406 Source: china.org from China Travel & Tourism News http://ift.tt/1iB6EFm