VisitorsbuydecorationsandsouvenirsfromvendorsinDitanPark.byNickLaniganTheSpringFestivalisatimeforfood,familyandfireworksforpeopleallacrossChina.WithmoreChinesepeoplethaneverbeforeworkingawayfromtheirhometowns,theholidaytravelrushhasnowfamouslybecomethelargesthumanmigrationinhistory,asmillionsofpeoplemaketheirwayhomeforafamilyreunionandawell-deservedbreak.Inthepast,ImadethemostoftheSpringFestivalholidaytotravelandexploreotherpartsofChina鈥攕odespitethefactthatBeijingistheonlyChinesecityIhaveevercalledhome,Ihadneverspentthefestivalhere.Thisyear,IdecidedtosparemyselfthestressoftakingatrainorplanealongsidealmosttheentireChinesepopulation,andseehowthenation鈥檚capitalsawintheYearoftheRooster.
In2017,theeveoftheLunarNewYearfellonJanuary27,meaningthattheNewYearitselfwasuponusalmostassoonastheholidayhadbegun.TheexcitementwaspalpableastheCCTVNewYearGalabeganonTV,andafeweagerrevelersbegansettingofffireworksbeforemidnightwasevenclose.That,however,wasnothingcomparedtothenoisewhentheclocksactuallydidstriketwelve.Isteppedoutwithmyneighborsastheysetoffendlessfirecrackersoutsideourbuilding,andthereweresomanyfireworksgoingoffineverydirectionthatitwasalmostimpossibleeventolookatthemall.Withinminutes,allwecouldsmellwassmoke;thefireworkscontinuedunabatedforhours.
I鈥檓luckyenoughtoliveveryclosetoDitanPark(ortheTempleofEarth),datingbacktotheMingDynasty(1368-1644),inthenorthernpartofcentralBeijing,andIhadheardgreatthingsaboutthetraditionaltemplefairsthatweretotakeplacethereovertheSpringFestivalperiod.Ihad,however,somewhatunderestimatedthenumberofotherpeoplethatwouldalsobeattending.Intherun-uptotheholiday,whenevermyChinesefriendsandcolleaguesdiscoveredthatIwasstayinginBeijing,theyrespondedinvariably,鈥淏utBeijingwillbesoempty!鈥滻nthedaysbeforetheLunarNewYear鈥檚Eve,thatseemedtobecorrect.Subwaytrainswerehalf-empty,roadswerequiet,andmanyshopsclosed.Then,onthefirstdayoftheNewYear,whenthedusthadbarelysettledfromthefireworksthenightbefore,Ilookedoutofmywindowtoseehugecrowdsofpeopleswarmingtowardsthepark,andtrafficatastandstillasdriverstriedtofindaspacetopark.Tome,ifanything,itseemedbusierthananormalBeijingday!
Theparkhadgoneall-outondecorations,withredlanternsoneverytreeandcoveredwalkwaysfeaturingtraditionalChinesedesigns.Astagehadbeensetupinanopenarea,wheredifferentmusicanddanceperformancestookplacethroughouttheday.Stallssoldsnacksanddrinks,andfamilieslineduptotaketheirchancesatvariouscompetitions,hopingtowinastuffedtoy.Therewerealsosomedistinctlylesstraditionalsidestothecelebration鈥攐nepopularattractionwasaninteractiveVirtualReality(VR)experience,wherevisitorscouldpaytospendtimeinadventurousorevenother-worldlysurroundingswiththehelpofasetofVRglasses.Thepark鈥檚celebrationscontinuedinasimilarveinfortherestoftheSpringFestivalweek.
AnotherlocalattractionistheYonghe-gong,orLamaTemple,aTibetanBuddhistmonasterywhichisespeciallypopularduringtheSpringFestival.Duringthistime,peopletraveledfromfarandwidetobegintheyearwithprayersandincenseofferingstothehugeBuddhiststatueshousedinthemonastery鈥檚courtyardsandpavilions.Despitethecrowds,themajestictemplesomehowmanagedtoretainitsauraofcalmandserenity,andthescentofincensefloatedbeyondthetemplewallstofillthestreetoutsidewithTibetanflavor.TheliondanceisanancienttraditionheldtocelebratetheLunarNewYear.CFP
ElsewherearoundBeijing,apartfromthefactthatalotofsmallerbusinessesandrestaurantswereclosed,lifecontinuedmuchlikenormal.Familieswithchildrentookadvantageofthecold,brightweathertogoiceskatingonthefrozenHouhaiLake,whilsttouristsflockedtotheshopsandcaf茅sofNanluoguxianglikeanyothertimeoftheyear.Beijing鈥檚busandsubwaysystemwasasefficientasever鈥攑erhapsevenmoreso,giventhereducedtraffic鈥攁ndlargershopsandattractionsremainedopenthroughouttheweek,cateringtothosewhowereusingtheholidayperiodtovisitBeijingfromotherpartsofthecountry.
Allinall,myexperienceoftheSpringFestivalinBeijingwasoneofacityacknowledgingthemostimportantculturalcelebrationinitscalendar,whilstalsotryingtokeepthingsmovingasseamlesslyaspossible.Itwouldbeimpossiblenottonoticethefestival,evenwithoutthefireworks鈥攔edlanternsappearoneverystreetlight,anddecorationsadorndoorsandwindowsoneverycorner鈥攂utitisverypossibletolivethroughitwithrelativelylittledisruption.AsaforeignerinBeijing,itiseasytofeelasthoughtheSpringFestivalisn鈥檛somethingthatispersonallyrelevant.Afterall,muchlikeChristmasintheWesternworld,itisfirstandforemostacelebrationoffamily.Butinmyexperience,you鈥檇behard-pressednottofeelatleastalittleoftheexcitementthatcomesalongwithit.
HugedecorationsappearacrossChinatocelebratetheYearoftheRooster.byLiAn/Xinhua
VisitorsflocktoDitanParktoenjoytheSpringFestivalsunshine.byChenXiaogen/Xinhu