Book stalls at Changdian temple fair

Kong Zhu or Chinese yo-yo stalls at Changdian temple fair

During Emperor Qianlong 's reign (1736-1796), the street was even more prosperous. There one could find "rooms filed to the roof beams with all kinds of books," and "a street filled with treasures and trinkets." When Emperor Qianlong decided to revise the Complete Library of the Four Branches of Literature, he conscripted scholars for the project, and Liulichang became a center for research in textual criticism.

In the early period of the Republic of China, the Longfu Temple began to hold fairs on the 1st, 2nd, 11th, 12th, 21st, and 22nd of every month. Soon afterwards, at least one temple fair took place in the old Beijing city every day.

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