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| Temple Fair in Wuxi [Photo from wuxinews.com.cn] |
The temple fair is also known as the old or mountain fairs, or temple market and incense fairs. Locals will go and attend the fair. The temple fair was originally set to worship temple deities, and fairs were generally hosted in temple or places nearby. People often sang operas during the fairs at first. Later on, many vendors joined in the fairs, offering rituals, recreation and trade. Most of the Wuxi temple fairs are held in spring, especially in March of the Chinese lunar calendar.
There are two different kinds of temple fairs. One is based on commodity transaction and includes the worship of birthdays of temple deities and other performances. Another form features the outside parade of temple gods and the worship of deities.
The following 10 temple fairs are especially popular:
February 8 in the lunar calendar, Cishan Temple Fair (Cishan Temple Fair is also called Cishan Guanghui Line, commonly known as Zhang Wang Temple or Zhang Dadi Temple)
March 9 of the lunar calendar, Qingming Bridge Songzi Nobility Temple Fair
March 28 of the lunar calendar, Huishan Dongyue Temple Fair
April 28 of the lunar calendar, Chenghuang Temple Fair of the north gate
May 18 of the lunar calendar, Yansheng Temple Fair of the Pear Flower Village outside the north gate
May 28 of the lunar calendar, Old Chenghuang Temple Fair
June 11 of the lunar calendar, Taibao Dun Marquis Liu Temple Fair outside of the west gate (commonly known as the West Narcissus Temple Fair)
July 25 of the lunar calendar, Huishan Zhang Zhongcheng Temple Fair
August 18 of the lunar calendar, Yanshou Temple Fair outside of the east gate
September 19 of the lunar calendar, New Chenghuang Temple Fair
