On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the Pinggu Yaji Mountain Temple Fair arrived as scheduled, which is a Spring Festival activity in which citizens and tourists in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region enthusiastically participate. Early in the morning, the parking lot at the foot of Yaji Mountain is almost full, and the private cars are hung with "Tianjin" and "Hebei" license plates, and tourists from Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei Sanhe and other places are endless. The winding hiking trail of Yaji Mountain is like a waterfall flowing down from the top of the mountain, and the 365 steps are decorated with the word "Fu" in yellow on a red background, which means that every step is blessed and enjoyed, and the whole mountain is filled with a strong New Year's atmosphere. Climbing high to pray for blessings is a traditional Chinese way, Yaji Mountain temple fair originated in the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, has a history of nearly 500 years, and has now been included in the national intangible cultural heritage list. During the temple fair every year, not only Beijing citizens, but also tourists from Sanhe, Hebei, Jizhou, Tianjin and other places gather here to climb Yaji Mountain together. The staff at the temple fair ticket office generously waived the entrance fee for the dragon tourists and also gave away a few small sugar gourds, which brought good omens to the tourists. Ms. Zhao from Tianjin happily exchanged good wishes with the staff and led her son into the scenic area to climb the mountain to pray for blessings. Wang Junyu, a citizen of Shunyi, came from afar with his mother, and he said that the New Year's flavor of Yaji Mountain is very strong, and the people are warm and friendly. This year's temple fair decoration is also very attractive, with red "Fu" characters and lanterns everywhere, which makes people feel happy. Zhang Xiaochen, mayor of Liujiadian Town, said that this year's temple fair has specially prepared a series of activities, such as visiting the Fu Fair, crossing the Fu Bridge, walking the Fu Road, climbing the Fu steps, opening the Fu Gate, etc., so that everyone can feel the unique Fu culture of Yaji Mountain. In addition, tourists participating in the temple fair can also write blessing characters, extend blessing seals, taste blessing coffee, etc., and the Yaji Mountain temple fair is full of strong New Year's flavor.
The Yaji Mountain temple fair is inseparable from the gift of food, and various food stalls let tourists feast their mouths. Pinggu delicacies such as smoked boxes, sweet sticky rolls, crispy fried gnocchi corners, sweet potatoes roasted sweet and soft glutinous, and specialty food leaky noodles are all made into small portions for tourists to taste. Yaji Mountain has also launched some limited delicacies, such as "Sugar Fulu" (sugar gourd), Yaji Fu "Chang" (powder sausage), Fu cake, Fu coffee, Yaji vegetarian food, etc., so that people can feel the joy of the festival while tasting the food. In addition, the special good things from 18 township streets in Pinggu District are also carefully displayed, such as walnuts, canned yellow peaches, painted gourds, wooden board rubbing, etc., adding a unique style to the temple fair. This year's temple fair is hosted by the Pinggu District Party Committee and Liujiadian Town, and the event will last for eight days, open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day.
As one of the famous Spring Festival activities in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yaji Mountain Temple Fair attracts many tourists to come to the mountain to pray for blessings, enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery and taste the special food of Pinggu. During the temple fair, the scenery of Yaji Mountain is like a picture of spring, and people climb the 365 steps in an endless stream, not only to experience the fun of mountaineering, but also to deeply feel the traditional Chinese culture of New Year's greetings and blessings. The sumptuous food is even more mouth-watering, and the special products from various towns and streets in Pinggu District let everyone appreciate the unique charm of local culture. The whole temple fair is filled with a lively and festive atmosphere, allowing people to immerse themselves in it, wash away the fatigue of the year, and welcome the arrival of the new year. The successful holding of the Yaji Mountain Temple Fair not only enriches the cultural life of local residents and tourists, but also makes a positive contribution to the development of tourism in Pinggu and even the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. It is hoped that the future temple fairs will continue to innovate and attract more people to come to participate in the celebration of the Spring Festival and feel the strong flavor of the New Year.