逛庙会,过大年

Enjoy Yourself at Temple Fair for Spring Festival!

庙会，又名“庙市”或“节场”。庙会源于寺庙周围，故称“庙”；又因小商小贩们见烧香拜佛者颇多，便在庙外摆起各式小摊赚钱，渐渐成为定期活动，所以叫“会”。

Intimately related to religion, the temple fair has developed along with the folk faith. In the early times, the temple fair is merely a solemn ceremony to offer sacrifices. Gradually, it blends into the country fair and becomes part of it. Later, recreational activities are added. As time goes by, the temple fair is now one of the festive events that people enjoy themselves during holidays, especially during Spring Festival. The temple fair has evolved to integrate both tradition and modernity. Currently, it is prospering throughout the country with its unique charm and is winning increasing popularity. Why are people so crazy about traditional temple fair? Liu Yida, a writer on Beijing local culture, airs his views about this. In his opinion, as a social custom, the temple fair has formed certain culture characteristic of its own, the core of which has remained despite the changes. That is, the temple fair demonstrates people’s pursuit of harmony and happiness. This may explain why the temple fair has survived and prospered through the ages. In addition, the temple fair also has remarkable commercial value. In recent years, it has become a new highlight during holidays and related consumption has become an important part of the "holiday economy". So, why not come and enjoy yourself at the temple fair when Spring Festival comes?