The thoroughly renovated Longtanhu Park will hold its 19th temple fair from February 11 to 18.

No less than 160 different cultural, sporting and entertainment items are being arranged.

During the Spring Festival, Longtanhu Park will be a place where thousands of folk performers from China?s other provinces and cities show their skills to visitors.

Martial art performance troupes from Central China?s Henan Province will display their talents. Tianjin specialities like flour sculpture making, wooden carving and painting as well as various other folk arts will be showcased. The mysterious changing-face performance in Sichuan Opera will be another major attraction.

Acrobatics, opera performances, puppet plays and chess competitions will be key features of the fair.

And visitors too can show their secret skill.

Various cars will also be exhibited.

It is expected Chinese national football coach, Bora Milutinovic will attend the fair and play with children.

There will also be no shortage of snacks, another major attraction of the fair.

Ticket price: 5 yuan (60 US cents).

Bus No 8, 12, 35, 41, 60, 116, and 807 can get to the park.

Foreign Flavor at Sun Park

Performing troupes from Brazil, Russia, the United States, Mexico and other countries will join this year?s fair held in the Sun (Chaoyang) Park.

With most of the embassies nearby, Sun Park often plays host to foreign activities.

A dozen activity sites will be established to cater for visitors. Carnivals and balls will be held on the eve of the Spring Festival and Valentine?s Day.

In the main square, many of the star hotels in Beijing will be selling food including varied snacks from the United States, Germany, and dozens of other countries.

In the Fireworks Square, a huge tent is pitched for the performances by bands from Germany, Russia, Cuba and performing troupes from some other Latin American countries. The event will also feature some indigenous Chinese music.

A fashion show and sale is one of the attractions of the foreign fair. Venetian masks and a lucky gift for the Year of Horse as well as a special Valentine?s Day present adds to the atmosphere.

Chaoyang Park is also an ideal recreational site for both adults and children.

Entrance ticket: 5 yuan (60 US cents).

Location: Nongzhanguan Nanlu, chaoyang District.

Foreign Temple Fair in Shijingshan Amusement Park

The arrangements echo those at Sun Park.

Although it is situated at the remote west suburb of Beijing, visitors can get to its south gate by taking the subway to Bajiao Youleyuan.

Foreign carnivals, performances by foreign troupes, expat snacks and Chinese folk crafts and art works are the main attractions.

Keep an eye open for the likes of Cinderella around Shijingshan Amusement Park, which also features an ancient European-style castle and gardens.

Attractions include a carousel, roller-coaster, fairy tales train, flying saucer and flying carpet.

Entrance ticket: 5 yuan (60 US cents)

Baiyunguan Temple Fair

This is one of the places where Beijing?s temple fair originated.

Although Buddhist temples and lamaseries are fairly common throughout China, it isn?t easy to find a temple where Taoism, the indigenous Chinese faith, is still actively practiced.

At the Baiyunguan, you can see Taoism in action.

This year?s fair will last seven days from February 11 to 18.

Affected by the recent modern temple fairs, Baiyunguan is not popular as it once was. But it does have special attractions.

The temple is an ancient, quiet enclave in the heart of the modern, noisy city. But more importantly it is a window into a little-understood but highly influential ingredient in the Chinese cultural make-up. It is not to be missed.

Location: 6 Baiyunguan Jie, Xibianmenwai, Xuanwu District

Temple Fair in the Chinese Culture Park

This is the first time that the park will hold the fair during the Spring Festival. Opened last June, the park is still unknown for many Beijingers.

The contents and fair forms are just a copy of those in Ditan of Longtanhu Park. It is a place for residents near the park to enjoy their rest time in the seven-day holiday.

Bus No 905, 967, 922, 423 and 937 get to the park.

Temple Fair at Miaofeng Mountain

About 60 kilometres west of downtown, this is probably the only place where fireworks are allowed, which was an absolutely necessary component of the traditional temple fair.

Religious activity can be also found here.

Furthermore, a journey to the site will ensure the chance to enjoy the icy scenery in the mountain cliffs.

Old pine trees, a huge bronze bell, lines of varied Chinese legend gods and even the sound of the wind from the forest give you a completely different feeling from the downtown temple fair.

(Beijing Weekend February 11, 2002)