Evolution of temple fairs in old Beijing

Temple fairs in old Beijing were held on a large scale. It is said that the earliest temple fair in Beijing appeared in the Liao Dynasty (916-1125). The fairs then saw a boom especially during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties as well as the Republic of China (1912-1949).

Literature in the late Ming period recorded the spectacle of temple fairs, which were held three times a month. People swarmed into the fair, more than a half of who went to experience the hustle and bustle. Roughly 30 percent went for trading, while only about 10 percent went to the temple for pilgrimage. Since then, temple fairs have been a kind of mass gatherings that integrate religious worship, entertainment, and commerce.

In the Ming Dynasty , the temple fair at the Du Chenghuang Temple (Peking Metropolitan City God Temple) had already reached a considerable scale. Du Chenghuang was located in what is Xidan today. Fairs at Du Chenghuang were held on the 1st, 15th, and 25th of every month, where all kinds of foods and apparels were sold. Bizarre jewelries and treasures sold by foreign merchants could also be found at the temple fair.

In the early Qing Dynasty, the Du Chenghuang Temple fair gradually waned, and was replaced by the fair at the Baoguo Temple , which was also called the Ciren Temple, near today's Guang'anmen. Vendors gathered on every 5th, 15th, and 25th to sell books, antiquities, and curios, with the book fair eventually becoming the fair's unique feature.

Besides common people, scholars and intellectuals were also frequent visitors of temple fairs during the Qing. During Emperor's Kangxi reign, the famous poet Wang Shizhen was a frequent fairgoer. It is said that Wang went to the temple fairs so regularly that book booths became a meeting point for people who would like to visit him. At that time, scholars and intellectuals often stayed the night at guest rooms in the Baoguo Temple to compose poems together.

By the middle period of the Qing Dynasty, restrictions for Han ethnic people living in the inner city were loosened, resulting in the inner city becoming the habitat for both Han and Manchurians. Hence temple fairs saw another boom. During this period, temple fairs at the Longfu and Huguo temples became the most famous ones. Located in the eastern and western parts of the city respectively, they were also known as the East Temple and the West Temple.

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