Beijing Travel Feature Volume 8 Welcome the Winter Season of Beijing 北京市旅游发展委员会 Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development A Guide to Beijing’s Winter Events A Guide to Beijing’s Winter Events Highlights The Sights of New Year Celebration An Insider’s Guide to Beijing New Year Countdown Event the Winter of Beijing The Trips to Temple Fairs Ditan Temple Fair, Changdian Temple Fair, Hongluo Temple Fair, In the winter of Beijing, a sizzling breakfast of Douzhi, Jiaoquan, and a Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Sports Culture and Tourism Temple Fair steamy deep-fried dough cake with sugar make the perfect start for the The Fun of Winter Sports day; followed by a trip to the Forbidden City, capturing the breathtaking Wukesong’s Ice World Sports Land, Beijing Olympic scenery of the palace after the first snow of the season. Shortly after a Forest Park JF Dry Ski Slope delicious instant-boiled mutton lunch at Donglaishun, we would take a detour to the Olympic Forest Park, experiencing the early atmosphere of The Taste of Winter Delicacies Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Thereafter a day of exploring the city in the Beijing Mutton Hot Pot, Zhizi Barbeque, Traditional snacks winter, a hot spring bath sets the perfect mood for us to prepare the New Year celebrations, experiencing old Beijing folk culture with a variety of The Experience of Winter Entertainment temple fairs. This is how we welcome the winter season of Beijing. Longqing Gorge Ice Lantern Festival, Yanqing “Great Wall Iron Flower,” Hot spring bath The Winter-themed Route of Beijing 2 3 The Sights of New Year Celebration The Sights of New Year Celebration In the blink of an eye, twelve months have gone by and the New Year is upon us. Since 2011, famous The Sights of attractions of Beijing such as Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Badaling Great Wall, Olympic Celebration Square, Imperial Ancestral Temple, Olympic Park, and Yongdingmen, have been served as New Year Celebration the stages of 7 consecutive New Year countdown events. Consequentially, Beijing has quickly emerged as one of the most reputable destinations in the world for New Year countdown celebrations, declaring the prime status of tourism in Beijing. Under Beijing’s contagious ambience spread from the ice and snow festivities, with the presence of all these incredible performances and the company of loved ones, following by the ringing of the bell, let us welcome the New Year! 4 5 The Sights of New Year Celebration The Sights of New Year Celebration 2016 2012 New Year Countdown New Year Countdown The 2016 Beijing New Year countdown was held On December 31, 2011, Beijing organized the first at the Imperial Ancestral Temple with the theme official New Year countdown celebration at Temple of “Golden Dream, Happy Beijing.” Projecting the of Heaven, synchronized with fellow international grand landscape of the ancient Central Axis on a cities such as New York, London, and Paris. The large-scale display, led the audience to comprehend integration of iridescent spotlight and festive the immense change Beijing has undertaken for the atmosphere brought forward by the arrival of past centuries. Instead of traditional firecracker New Year, created a romantic aura for the solemn and fireworks, organizers opted for an eco-friendly, Temple of Heaven. With the countdown of 3, 2, high-tech light show extravaganza, glossing the and 1, the New Year’s bell in 2012 rang in a happy ceremonious Imperial Ancestral Temple a new color and peaceful atmosphere! of celebration and modernity. 2014 2018 New Year Countdown New Year Countdown “3, 2, 1! Happy New Year!” With the cheers of the On December 31, 2017, the opening ceremony of the crowd and the laser light show flashing on the Beijing Ice and Snow Culture Tourism Festival and Badaling Great Wall, was the ringing of 2014 New 2018 Beijing New Year Countdown Event was jointly Year’s bell. The dazzling laser light illuminates the held in Yongdingmen, Beijing. Yongdingmen Tower night sky from the watchtowers of the Badaling was transformed into a large-scale display to showcase Great Wall, manifesting the shape of a shining Beijing landmarks and cultural features. Slides and dragon, reposing on the mountains. On December slides of the historic landscape of the gorgeous Central 31, 2013, the 2014 Beijing New Year countdown was Axis, accompanied by the countdown indication on the held at the world cultural heritage, Badaling Great screen, the cheers from the audience culminated in bell Wall, with the theme of “Flying Your Dreams and ringing of 2018 on the Central Axis. Blessing the World.” 6 7 The Trips to Temple Fairs The Trips to Temple Fairs The Trips to Temple Fairs Visiting temple fairs during Chinese New Year is a folk custom that has been followed by Beijing locals for many years, it is also an iconic scene of Chinese New Year in Beijing. Traversing the streets of Beijing is a sea of redness, from doors, walls, lanterns, and windows to the festive couplets and firecrackers, all covered in red. Temple fairs during Chinese New Year are where you can genuinely feel the legacy, custom and the intangible cultural heritage of Beijing, take a piece of the festive souvenir with you. 8 9 The Trips to Temple Fairs The Trips to Temple Fairs Ditan Temple Fair Longtan Lake Temple Fair Visiting the Ditan Temple Fair during the Chinese New Year has been The most distinctive feature of the Longtan Lake Temple Fair is a tradition of Beijingers for years. The fair is famed for its authentic “Treading the Street.” Follow the southern path of Xizhaosi and atmosphere of old Beijing’s traditional customs; some may even enter the north gate of the park, you will be showered by the view say the sight of the fair is a modern depiction of “Along the River of people dancing along the lake, folk performing arts, flower During the Qingming Festival” and Chinese carnival. From New Year exhibition, automobile exhibition, book market and a snack street of shopping fair, playing diabolo, the Chinese art of tricks and vocal Beijing. The composition of the fair is meticulously designed for your mimicry to the Ditan Temple Fair’s exclusive performance from the pleasure, and you can even practice your chess skills with Beijing Qing Dynasty, portraying the king praying for peace for the nation. locals at this lively fair. Address: Ditan Park Address: Longtan Lake Park Phone: +86-10-64214657 Phone: +86-10-67144336 Website: http://www.dtpark.com/ Changdian Temple Fair Lotus Pond Temple Fair Changdian Temple Fair is one of the eight major temple fairs in The Lotus Pond Temple Fair is a grand traditional folk event of Beijing history, and it is also one of the largest and most authentic and the ethnic Han people that integrates commerce, tourism, beliefs, prestigious. In the eyes of the old Beijingers, the Changdian Temple entertainment, folk culture, and arts. The folk arts and crafts Fair embodies one thing - “strolling.” The Beijing traditional flower exhibitions and sales area have been a prominent highlight of the festival, the old Beijing photo exhibition and the “Xunzi” exhibition, fair for years. In here, you will find all sorts of crafts and intangible the old Tianqiao performance, Beijing opera, and other traditional heritage practiced by the Han people, including facial makeup in repertoire performances, and last but not least, a reputable discount Peking operas, Beijing clay figurine, sugar-figure blowing, and book market, etc. The fair allows visitors to stroll through the side copperplates. Also, you will discover distinctive folk custom features of Beijing that is bathed in culture, unique art forms and traditions. here, exemplifying the old Beijing custom with snacks, performances, the unique atmosphere, and flower exhibition. Address: Taoranting Park Phone: +86-10-63511596 Address: Lotus Pond Park Website: http://www.trtpark.com/ Phone: +86-10-63982357 10 11 The Trips to Temple Fairs The Trips to Temple Fairs Hongluo Temple Fair Tongzhou Yunhe Fair The Hongluo Temple Fair is the perfect hybrid of folk culture, Tongzhou Yunhe Fair congregates all the delicacies of the Canal traditional festival, temple culture, and wellness, therefore launches from the six provinces of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, the New Year celebration event consists of “Five Fu”. Here, you can and Zhejiang, showcasing the Canal’s intangible cultural heritage participate in a wide range of authentic Buddhist activities, praying with on-site demonstrations and productions. A trip to Tongzhou and ringing in the New Year. Yunhe Fair will make you feel as though you have experienced the modernity of Beijing and Tianjin, the customs of Hebei, the culture and scenery of Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Address: Huairou Hongluo Temple Phone: +86-10-60681175 Address: Tongzhou Yunhe Park Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Sports Culture Yanqing City Yongning: and Tourism Temple Fair Spring Lantern Festival Beijing International Sculpture Park is the largest sculpture theme Yongning Town shines like a dazzling pearl in Beijing. Its unique park in Beijing. It is like a vivid picture that conveys the concept cultural resources have turned new year festival fascinating in this of ‘Humanistic Olympics.’ The temple fair mainly displays the ancient town. You can experience the best Beijing’s new year festival intangible cultural heritage and works from the Beijing-Tianjin- here with an excellent showcase of colored lanterns, farm market Hebei region. of Yanqing and interesting activities, which include lanterns making and lantern riddle guessing. Address: No. 2, Shijingshan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing Address: Yongning Ancient City, Yanqing District, Beijing 12 13 The Fun of Winter Sports The Fun of Winter Sports Apart from experiencing the traditional customs of Beijing by visiting temple fairs, one of the The Fun of Winter Sports biggest highlights of exploring Beijing in winter is winter sports.