Ask any Chinese person, young or old, who has ever been to Beijing during the Spring Festival, and they are more than likely to recommend temple fairs as a great way to get a flavor of local customs and traditions and one of the best places to celebrate the festivities.

In the past, temple fairs allowed people to participate in religious ceremonies, buy and sell goods and enjoy folk performances. However, the ancient custom of holding temple fairs to offer sacrifices has now developed into a modern seven-day festival with fun-filled hours of celebration and entertainment recalling traditions of the past.

On the first day of every Chinese New Year, thousands gather at Beijing's largest Taoist temple, the White Cloud Temple, waiting in line to touch the stone monkey statue at the temple's gate, which symbolizes a lucky start to the year. People then toss coins into the hole of a huge Chinese coin to wish for good fortune in the new year before they light incense sticks and pray.

There is usually a bustling, festive atmosphere at temple fairs, which feature a host of folk art traditions. There are colorfully clad performers walking on stilts, acrobatics, martial arts performances, horse-riding performances and folk art displays by skilled craftsmen among other attractions. In recent years, farmers have brought more and more country produce and games to entice visitors. You can even take a ride on a donkey with an embroidered saddle, a common means of transport in northern China.

Having tried some of the folk offerings, you should experience a sacrificial ceremony, which is traditionally the most important part of the temple fair. Ditan (Temple of Earth) Park is worth visiting because it is where Chinese emperors would make sacrifices to please the gods. The park comes alive once a year when the temple fairs are held to welcome spring, the season for planting. The park has preserved the ancient altar, which has been used for the ceremony for many years.

The sacrifice offering ceremony always opens in the morning. Performers dressed in Qing imperial-style clothes take part in a parade led by an "emperor." Other exciting folk performances follow the parade throughout the day. The ceremony usually begins on the first day of the Chinese New Year and lasts eight days.

As more expatriates are spending their Spring Festival holidays in China, the temple fairs are becoming more internationalized. Starting in 2003, Beijing's Chaoyang Park holds an international temple fair every year. A whirl of foreign entertainment spices up the traditional event and the Spring Festival has become a celebration for all. Last year, a performance at the fair depicted a scene from China's famous classic novel A Dream of Red Mansions, in which an imperial concubine visits her parents. But the actors and actresses were not Chinese but foreigners. Bands and troupes from Britain, Brazil and Canada joined the holiday spree. Exotic food from Turkey, Thailand and Germany were also on offer.

One of the highlights of a traditional temple fair is to try the local delicacies, which are often sadly forgotten during the rest of the year. The famous miancha is one delicacy you cannot afford to miss. It is a drink made of millet flour and sesame sauce, topped with sesame seeds, which diners are not supposed to stir while drinking. A variety of cakes are also on offer under such interesting names as rolling donkeys and yellow pea.

Take your camera if you plan a temple fair trip in Beijing, as it is a great opportunity to take photos. It's a great insight into the lives of Beijing people past and present. You can also win a festival gift or learn an old craft like pottery or paper-cutting.

Transport

There are over a dozen flights from Shenzhen to Beijing each day. The flight takes three hours and the ticket price is 1,750 yuan (US$210) per person.

If time permits, visitors are recommended to go to Beijing by train, which is much cheaper. Two trains are available: T108 leaves Shenzhen Railway Station at 3:52 p.m. each day and arrives in Beijing at 3:22 p.m. the next day; K106 leaves Shenzhen Railway Station at 10:17 a.m. each day and arrives in Beijing at 3:45 p.m. the next day.

Editor: Catherine