Nanyue Temple Fair: Southern China's largest folk event for the Chinese New Year

The Nanyue Temple Fair takes place mainly at Nanyue Grand Temple, Zhurong Hall, and Tianfu Temple in Nanyue district, Hengyang, Hunan province. It blends traditional events such as the Spring Festival Temple Fair, Tianfu Temple Fair and the "Eighth-Lunar-Month Temple Fair", featuring activities like worshipping for longevity, the ritual for warding off evil spirits and expelling disasters, and Shehuo celebrations.

The Spring Festival Temple Fair lasts from the Laba Festival to the Lantern Festival of the following year, featuring exciting activities such as Laba porridge distribution, lantern lighting ceremonies, fire lantern parades, dragon and lion dances, and stilt performances. The fair reaches its climax on the 14th day of the first lunar month during the Fire Lantern Festival, commemorating the cultural tradition of Zhurong (the god of fire in ancient Chinese legend) spreading the fire seed.

As the largest Chinese New Year folk event in southern China, the Nanyue Temple Fair attracts many visitors who come to enjoy operas, various folk arts, authentic local delicacies, and the profound cultural heritage and festive atmosphere of pilgrimage. In May 2021, the Nanyue Temple Fair was inscribed on the fifth group of China’s national intangible cultural heritage list.

If you want to experience the charm of traditional Chinese culture, the Nanyue Temple Fair is an event you can't miss!