I went to a Chinese New Year temple fair and ate something I still can't identify.

ChinaTravelMemo

My friend from Mexico was in Beijing during Spring Festival. Everyone said: "Go to the temple fair. It's the real China."

She went to Ditan Park (Temple of Earth). She was not prepared.

What is a temple fair?

Temple fairs (庙会) are traditional Chinese New Year celebrations held at temples and parks. They date back over 1,000 years.

Imagine a massive outdoor market + carnival + food festival + cultural performance. All in one place. All at once.

What she saw:

The entrance: Red lanterns everywhere. A 10-meter archway covered in golden Chinese characters. The crowd was shoulder-to-shoulder.

The food stalls:
• Jianbing (Chinese crepes) being made on rotating griddles
• Lamb skewers with so much cumin the air tasted like spice
• Sugar-coated haws (冰糖葫芦) — candied fruit on sticks, bright red
• Stinky tofu — she smelled it before she saw it
• Something on a stick that the vendor called "crispy silk" (炸蚕蛹). She later found out it was fried silkworm pupae.

She ate one. Crunchy. Salty. She still doesn't know if she liked it.

The performances:

• Diabolo (抖空竹) — a guy spinning a wooden toy on a string, making it whistle
• Face-changing opera (变脸) — a performer swapping masks faster than the eye can see
• Lion dance — two people in a lion costume jumping on poles
• Traditional Chinese orchestra — erhu, pipa, and drums

The games:

• Ring toss — throw plastic rings over bottles to win stuffed animals
• Riddle guessing (猜灯谜) — red paper lanterns with riddles written on them. If you guess right, you get a small prize.
• Archery with toy bows
• Shooting balloons with dart guns

The souvenirs:
• Paper-cut art (剪纸) — intricate red designs cut with tiny scissors
• Clay figurines (泥人) — small painted statues of animals and characters
• Windmills (风车) — colorful pinwheels that spin in the breeze
• Red envelopes (红包) — for giving lucky money

The practical stuff:

When: First 15 days of the lunar new year (late January to mid-February, depending on the year)
Where: Major temple fairs in Beijing include Ditan Park, Longtan Park, and Changdian
Cost: ¥10-30 entry fee. Cash and mobile pay accepted.
Crowds: Extreme. Arrive before 10 AM or after 4 PM.
Dress: Warm. It's cold in Beijing in February.

Tips for foreigners:

• Go with a Chinese friend if possible — they explain the cultural significance
• Try the sugar-coated haws. They're safe and delicious.
• The fried silkworm pupae are optional.
• Pickpockets love temple fairs. Keep your phone in a front pocket.
• Take cash. Some small vendors don't accept mobile pay (rare, but it happens).
• The temple fair is loud, crowded, and chaotic. If you don't like crowds, skip it.
• Download offline maps. Mobile signal gets overwhelmed by the crowd.

Other major Chinese festivals worth experiencing:

Lantern Festival (元宵节):
• 15th day of the lunar new year
• Floating lanterns on water, riddles, tangyuan (sweet rice balls)

Dragon Boat Festival (端午节):
• June (solar calendar)
• Dragon boat races, zongzi (sticky rice dumplings)

Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节):
• September/October
• Mooncakes, family reunions, lantern viewing

My Mexican friend's verdict:

"I ate a fried insect. I watched a man change masks faster than magic. I got stuck in a crowd so dense I couldn't lift my arms. And I understood — for the first time — what 5,000 years of culture feels like when it all shows up at once."

Anyone else been to a Chinese temple fair? What's the weirdest thing you ate?