Temple Fairs (庙会) · 25 events · 18 provinces
The fair that fills a temple courtyard and the streets around it at New Year: incense, stalls, opera and food, on ground that is a place of worship the rest of the year.
25 of them here, grouped by region. The last column gives the months each one falls in, then the lunar date where there is one. 7 are community rites rather than public events. See all five kinds, or the background on festivals.
6 events
North China (华北)
| Event | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| Baiyunguan Temple Fair (白云观庙会)The Daoist New Year fair at the White Cloud Temple, running to the nineteenth of the first month. The rites inside are for adherents; visitors can walk the front halls.a community rite, not a show · Partly ticketed · Partly open · Religious activity inside the temple is for adherents. Visitors may see the front halls. | Beijing | Jan to Feb · lunar day 1 to 19 (正月初一至十九) |
| Changdian Temple Fair (厂甸庙会)Counted among the oldest fairs in Beijing, held along Liulichang, where the trade is painting, old books and traditional craft rather than food.Free | Beijing | Jan to Feb · lunar days 1 to 5 (正月初一至初五) |
| Ditan Temple Fair (地坛庙会)Described as Beijing’s best-known New Year temple fair, on the Ming altar of earth: a re-enacted earth sacrifice, folk performance and food stalls, over the first five days of the lunar year. Ticketed.part rite, part public event · Partly ticketed · Partly open · Ticketed during the New Year period. The earth sacrifice inside the temple can be watched only from designated areas. | Beijing | Jan to Feb · lunar days 1 to 5 (正月初一至初五) |
| Longtan Lake Temple Fair (龙潭湖庙会)A New Year fair in Longtan Park given over to sport and folk performance rather than ritual, over the first five days of the lunar year.Partly ticketed | Beijing | Jan to Feb · lunar days 1 to 5 (正月初一至初五) |
| Jinci Temple Fair (太原晋祠庙会)The old temple fair at Jinci on the second of the seventh lunar month, around the sacrifice to the Sage Mother. The rite is restricted; the market is open.a community rite, not a show · Partly ticketed · Partly open · The sacrifice in the Sage Mother Hall is confined to a designated area; the fair and market are open to walk through. | Taiyuan, Shanxi | Jul to Aug · lunar day 2 (七月初二) |
| Ancient Culture Street Temple Fair (天津古文化街庙会)Tianjin’s New Year fair along Ancient Culture Street, built around the Mazu temple there, with folk performance and street food.Free | Tianjin | Jan to Feb · lunar day 1 to 16 (正月初一至十六) |
1 event
Northeast China (东北)
| Event | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| Imperial Temple Fair (沈阳皇寺庙会)The New Year fair at Shisheng Temple, combining a Tibetan Buddhist assembly with Manchu folk custom. The assembly is for adherents; the outer square is open.part rite, part public event · Free · The Buddhist assembly inside the temple is for adherents. The folk events on the outer square are open. | Shenyang, Liaoning | Jan to Feb · lunar day 1 to 15 (正月初一至十五) |
8 events
East China (华东)
| Event | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| Guandi Temple Fair (泉州关帝庙庙会)The Guan Yu birthday observance at the Tonghuai temple, on the thirteenth of the fifth lunar month, with a Minnan street procession. Ritual inside is for adherents; the procession is public.a community rite, not a show · Free · Partly open · Ritual inside the temple is for adherents. Visitors watch the procession from outside the temple. | Quanzhou, Fujian | May to Jun · lunar day 13 (五月十三) |
| Sanfang Qixiang Lantern Fair (福州三坊七巷元宵庙会)The lantern festival in the Three Lanes and Seven Alleys, on the fifteenth of the first month, held against the Ming and Qing housing of the quarter.Free | Fuzhou, Fujian | Feb to Mar · lunar day 15 (正月十五) |
| Fuzimiao Lantern Temple Fair (南京夫子庙灯会庙会)Nanjing’s New Year and lantern festival combined, from the first to the fifteenth of the lunar year. The hall sacrifice is ticketed, and the Qinhuai riverside is free.part rite, part public event · Partly ticketed · The sacrificial area in the Dacheng Hall is ticketed; the Qinhuai riverside is free. | Nanjing, Jiangsu | Jan to Mar · lunar day 1 to 15 (正月初一至十五) |
| Xuanmiaoguan Temple Fair (苏州玄妙观庙会)The New Year fair at the Xuanmiao Daoist temple on Guanqian Street, Suzhou. Rites are confined to marked areas, and the shopping street stays open.part rite, part public event · Free · Daoist rites are confined to designated areas inside the temple; the Guanqian shopping street is open. | Suzhou, Jiangsu | Jan to Feb · lunar days 1 to 5 (正月初一至初五) |
| Wanshou Palace Temple Fair (南昌万寿宫庙会)The New Year fair at the Tiezhu Wanshou Palace, Nanchang, around the Daoist figure Xu Zhenjun. The hall sacrifice is restricted; the surrounding historic quarter is open.part rite, part public event · Free · The sacrifice in the Zhenjun Hall is confined to a designated area; the historic quarter around it is open. | Nanchang, Jiangxi | Jan to Feb · lunar day 1 to 15 (正月初一至十五) |
| Qianfo Mountain Temple Fair (济南千佛山庙会)The New Year hill fair at Qianfoshan, Jinan, combining Buddhist observance, a climb and a market. Services at Xingguo Temple are for adherents; the rest is open.part rite, part public event · Partly ticketed · Services inside Xingguo Temple are for adherents; the hill fair and the climb are open. | Jinan, Shandong | Jan to Feb · lunar day 1 to 15 (正月初一至十五) |
| City God Temple Fair (上海城隍庙庙会)The New Year fair around the Yu Garden city god temple, half ritual and half shopping street. Sacrifice inside the temple runs at set hours, and the commercial part stays open.part rite, part public event · Partly ticketed · The sacrificial area inside the temple opens only at set hours; the commercial quarter is open all day. | Shanghai | Jan to Mar · lunar day 1 to 15 (正月初一至十五) |
| Lingyin Temple New Year Incense (杭州灵隐寺烧头香)Burning the first incense of the year at Lingyin Temple on New Year’s Eve. Booking and a ticket are required in advance, and the crowd is directed by volunteers.a community rite, not a show · Ticketed · Partly open · Booking and a ticket are required in advance. Order inside the temple is strictly kept; follow the volunteers’ directions. | Hangzhou, Zhejiang | Jan to Feb · lunar days 30 to 1 (除夕至初一) |
4 events
Central China (华中)
| Event | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| Guanlin Temple Fair (洛阳关林庙会)The Guan Yu sacrifice at Guanlin, held on the thirteenth to fifteenth of the first month. The main rite is watched from the square rather than joined.a community rite, not a show · Partly ticketed · Partly open · The Guan Yu ceremony is watched from designated areas only; visitors observe from the square. | Luoyang, Henan | Jan to Mar · lunar days 13 to 15 (正月十三至十五) |
| Wansui Mountain Spring Festival Grand Fair (开封万岁山春节大庙会)A New Year fair at the Wansuishan martial-arts park in Kaifeng, with staged combat and folk performance. First to fifteenth of the lunar year.Ticketed | Kaifeng, Henan | Jan to Feb · lunar day 1 to 15 (正月初一至十五) |
| Guiyuan Temple Spring Festival Fair (武汉归元寺春节庙会)The New Year fair at Guiyuan Temple, where the custom is to count the arhat statues to a number that answers a question. Entry is by queue, and the counting runs at set hours.a community rite, not a show · Partly ticketed · Partly open · Entry is by queue. Counting the arhats and similar activities run only at set hours. | Wuhan, Hubei | Jan to Feb · lunar days 1 to 5 (正月初一至初五) |
| Huogongdian Temple Fair (长沙火宫殿庙会)The New Year fair at Huogongdian on Pozi Street, Changsha, where the draw is Hunan street food rather than ritual.Free | Changsha, Hunan | Jan to Feb · lunar day 1 to 15 (正月初一至十五) |
2 events
South China (华南)
| Event | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| Foshan Ancestral Temple Beidi Festival (佛山祖庙北帝诞)The Beidi birthday rite at Foshan’s ancestral temple, on the third of the third lunar month, with lion dance and Cantonese opera. The sacrifice is in a restricted part of the temple; the procession runs through the streets.a community rite, not a show · Partly ticketed · Partly open · The Beidi rite is confined to a designated area inside the temple. The lion dance and the procession can be watched from the street. | Foshan, Guangdong | Mar to Apr · lunar day 3 (三月初三) |
| Guangfu Temple Fair (广府庙会)A Cantonese-culture fair at the Guangzhou city god temple: folk performance, intangible heritage demonstrations and food, from the first to the fifteenth of the lunar year.Free | Guangzhou, Guangdong | Jan to Feb · lunar day 1 to 15 (正月初一至十五) |
3 events
Southwest China (西南)
| Event | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| Ciqikou Temple Fair (重庆磁器口庙会)The New Year fair in Ciqikou old town, Chongqing: Bayu folk performance and the town’s own food, from the first to the fifteenth of the lunar year.Free | Chongqing | Jan to Feb · lunar day 1 to 15 (正月初一至十五) |
| Wuhou Shrine Grand Temple Fair (成都武侯祠大庙会)The New Year fair at the Wuhou Shrine museum, built around the Three Kingdoms material the site holds. First to fifteenth of the lunar year.Partly ticketed | Chengdu, Sichuan | Jan to Feb · lunar day 1 to 15 (正月初一至十五) |
| Yuantong Temple Fair (昆明圆通寺庙会)The New Year fair at Yuantong Temple, Kunming, combining Buddhist observance with Yunnan folk custom. Services are for adherents; the halls and courtyards are open.part rite, part public event · Partly ticketed · Buddhist services are for adherents. Visitors may see the halls and the courtyards. | Kunming, Yunnan | Jan to Feb · lunar day 1 to 15 (正月初一至十五) |
1 event
Northwest China (西北)
| Event | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| Datang Everbright City Spring Festival Fair (西安大唐不夜城春节庙会)A street fair on a Tang theme along the Datang Everbright City walk, from the first to the fifteenth of the lunar year.Free | Xi’an, Shaanxi | Jan to Feb · lunar day 1 to 15 (正月初一至十五) |
Being There on the Day
Most of these move against the calendar on your phone, and the date is only fixed once the lunar year is set. Tell our local team your travel dates and they will say which of these fall inside them, and which are rites where a visitor stands at the edge rather than in the middle.