The Longtan Temple Fair and the Ditan Temple Fair started Monday morning in celebration of the Lunar New Year which begins January 24.

People will see more than 100 flower fairs and enjoy cookies, snacks and traditional Chinese folk art performances like Chinese opera, micro-carvings, mask drawings, clay figurines at the 18th Longtan Temple Fair.

Kids will be able to hug and take pictures with familiar cartoon characters at the temple fair in Shijingshan Entertaining Park like the Seven Dwarves, Snow White and Cinderella, who will be welcoming visitors.

Apart from these, the cultural event from January 22 to January 29 will also highlight Beijing's effort to host the 2008 Olympic Games.

A 400 square meter board with 2008 Olympics Games sign was put up at the gate to Chaoyang park, and 100,000 Beijingers will sign their names on a long roll of cloth, expressing their support for the country to host the 2008 Olympics.

Families attending the Fengtai Sports Temple Fair can also take part in a variety of sports contests such as cliff climbing and flying in an hot air balloon.

The Temple Fair in 10 tourism sites will also make good use of the occasion to popularize science and technology. Shopping malls and department stores in commercial centers will also hold interior temple fairs during the one-week holiday.

The Temple Fair is a traditional cultural event featuring all kinds of Chinese folk art. The fair is usually held around the Spring Festival and attracts thousands of visitors at home and abroad. So far, there have been more than 10 major temple fairs held each year in Beijing.

(People's Daily 01/23/2001)