Dongyue Temple Fair beckons

Dongyue Temple Fair. [Photo/1545ts.com]

The annual folk festival - Dongyue Temple Fair of Mount Tai will open on April 29 at Dai Temple in Tai'an, Shandong province.

The fair will last until May 6, covering the May Day holiday, making it more convenient for locals and visitors to attend.

It will highlight 25 activities featuring culture, folk custom, performance and trade. New projects will be added to allow visitors to have an interactive experience.

Tai'an locals can watch the performances in Dai Temple at half price.

Temple fair is an indispensible part of traditional Chinese culture. Dongyue Temple Fair can be traced to late Tang Dynasty (618-907) and reached its heyday during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

It developed from a worship ceremony for the God of Mount Tai into a folk activity covering the aspects of food, accommodation, transportation, tourism, entertainment, shopping and religious culture.

The event was included into the second batch of national intangible cultural heritages released by the State Council in June, 2008.

The opening ceremony for the temple fair will be held in front of Tiankuang Hall at 9 o'clock on April 30, where visitors can enjoy performances.

Cultural activities

If the visitors want to enjoy the cultural atmosphere at the temple fair, they can get a close look at bamboo engraving art at Peitian Gate where more than 70 pieces of engraving art are exhibited from April 28 to May 22.

A folk artist engraves a New Year woodcut picture at the traditional handicraft show during the 2017 Dongyue Temple Fair. [Photo/Wechat account: sdtxta]

An exhibition of modern calligraphy and paintings will also be held from April 30 to May 6. A great number of works created by renowned artists will be exhibited to interpret Mount Tai culture and spirit. Famous painters will also be invited to create works on the spot to meet visitors' specific needs.

During the same period, calligraphist and painter Wu Zehao will be at the signing at Hanbai Yard to sell the commemorative envelope Blessing.

Visitors are also encouraged to take photos of the temple fair and share them on WeChat. The popular ones will be selected after the fair.