Located close to Beijing West Railway Station, the Lotus Pond (Lianhuachi) Park is regarded as the birthplace of the city of Beijing, bearing a history of over 3,000 years. The temple fair here is quite traditional, with more than 100 events going on to make the park an ideal place to enjoy Chinese folk arts and food.

Location: Lianhuachi Park

To get there: Take bus routes 323, 324, 300, 368, Yuntong 103, 57, 1, 4, 964, 321 or 339 to Liuliqiao Beili and go north for 200 meters to reach the west gate of the park. Bus routes Te 7, 309, 719, 620, 704, 122, 38, 927, 410, 715, 390, 917, 340, 6, 50 to Liuliqiao or Lianhuachi will also get your there. Bus routes 48, 937, 21, 52, 47, 823, 848, 320, 373, 609, Te 1 or 387 will bring you to Beijing West Railway Station, through which you can pass through and exit from the station’s south gate to come to the East Gate of the park.

Fair time: January 29th to February 3rd.

 2006 Chaoyang International Carnival

Another foreign-style temple fair in Beijing, the 2006 Changyang International Carnival will offer performances by renowned bands from the UK and Russia. People can also go skiing, play games, and enjoy the food of various countries. This year's carnival will cooperate with local charity organizations so that people will be able to contribute to society while enjoying themselves with the diverse entertainment.

Location: Chaoyang Park

To get there: Bus routes 31, 302, 705, 731, 750, 752 or 852 to Chaoyang Park (Chaoyang Gongyuan).

Fair time: January 29th to February 4th.

Admission: 10 yuan (about 1.25 USD).

Editor: Cindy