Siheyuan (courtyard house): My name is Shazhu!

The area around the temple fair was established as a glazed tile kiln in the fourth year of the Yuan Dynasty (1267). The place name was retained after the kiln was relocated in the forty-third year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1564).

Haiwang Village Park features tea houses, shops, and temporary book stalls. During the temple fair, the Fire God Temple and Lüzu Temple transform into jewelry and antique markets.

The current temple fair area is centered around the intersection of East and West Liulichang, continuing the tradition of the cultural market.

The Changdian Temple Fair originated during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. According to old customs, the market was held from the first day of the first lunar month to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, which was called "opening Changdian" and was very lively.

During the temple fair, the village of Haiwang was bustling with activity, and the Lu Zu Temple on its east side was also extremely popular, with devout men, women and Taoist priests gathering there.

The Fire God Temple was a hub for jewelry merchants, while the Wenchang Pavilion and the Land God Temple were hubs for books, and both sides of the road were lined with shops and markets.

The temple fair started at the Huguang Guild Hall and continued all the way to Hepingmen. The Jinghua Printing House, located at the northwest corner of the Hufangqiao intersection, is a symbol of the cultural heritage of Liulichang. It was completed in 1920 and its predecessor was the government-run Zhili Official Printing House, which was reorganized from the Qiangxuehui (Society for Strengthening the Nation) by Kang Youwei and Liang Qichao.

The stalls were filled with the aroma of books, delicious food, and joy, spreading hope. People were infected by happiness, and their mouths were beaming with joy.

For the elderly, visiting temple fairs evokes happy memories; for children, it fills them with hope; and for middle-aged people, it brings immense joy to the gatherings of young and old.

Temple fairs are a grand gathering of local delicacies. From colorful, fragrant, and delicious treats like Aiwowo (glutinous rice cake), Lvdagun (glutinous rice roll), Wandouhuang (pea flour cake), Niangao (rice cake), and Guanchang (stuffed sausage), to tea soup, Miancha (rice noodle tea), and Youcha (oil tea), it's easy to get confused if you don't know the local specialties.

The large, candied hawthorn skewers, so characteristic of Beijing, look even better than they taste. There are countless snacks—Chinese, Western, traditional, foreign, famous, and unknown.

Everywhere was filled with the warmth and joy of the New Year, and everywhere was decorated with colorful and auspicious decorations.

How could I not try such a snack? Today's snacks are especially delicious, and besides, I'm a little hungry after walking so much.

"Brother, we're tired from walking. There's a snack stall over there. Let's go take a look and rest for a while, okay?" He Yushui couldn't walk any further when she saw the snack stall.

"Let's go, what do you want to buy? Let's buy everything, have some to eat here, and then we can take our time eating at home."

"Brother, the candied hawthorns are delicious, let's each have one."

"purchase."

"Brother, this is Aiwowo. I haven't had it in a long time. I used to love it."

Damn it, how long is "a long time"? I bought you food at the overpass on New Year's Day. Does seeing food mean you don't need to save money for the future? You glutton!

"Buy it."

He Yuzhu didn't care. The main thing about the New Year is to be happy. He had been trying the snacks from old Beijing. Many shopping malls sell them, but the taste is not the same, and the ingredients used may be different.

Aiwowo is a traditional Beijing snack with a long history, dating back to the Ming Dynasty, and is very popular.

The main ingredients used in its preparation include glutinous rice flour and wheat flour to make the outer skin. The fillings inside are varied and include nutritious natural ingredients such as walnuts, sesame seeds, melon seeds, and mashed yam.

It has a soft, sticky texture, a sweet taste, and a snow-white color. It is often decorated with red hawthorn cakes, making it beautiful and festive. Because its skin is sprinkled with a thin layer of powder and has a concave shape on top, it is called Aiwowo.

Aiwowo (glutinous rice cake) is rich in nutrients and is a warming and strengthening food. It has the effects of replenishing qi, strengthening the spleen and stomach, and stopping night sweats. Because glutinous rice is difficult to digest, those with weak spleen and stomach should consume it in moderation.

Pea flour cake, also known as pea flour cake, is a traditional Beijing snack and a seasonal delicacy in Beijing during the spring.

The process typically involves grinding, peeling, washing, boiling, sugaring, coagulating, and then cutting the peas into pieces. The finished product is light yellow in color, delicate, melts in your mouth, and has a sweet, refreshing taste.

The pea flour cake served in the Qing Dynasty palace was made from the finest white peas and became famous because Empress Dowager Cixi loved it; the coarse pea flour cake served among the common people was a typical spring food and was often seen at temple fairs in spring.

"Buy it." It's another snack that can be taken home to eat. He Yuzhu has also tried it, and it's great for kids.

"Donkey roll, buy it!"

Donkey Rolling (驴打滚) gets its name primarily from the action of rolling the pastry in soybean flour during preparation, which resembles the dust kicked up by a donkey rolling in the air. Another legend says that it was named by Empress Dowager Cixi's imperial chef to ward off a eunuch's mistake, nicknamed "Little Donkey."

After buying several snacks, the two left the snack stall without trying the tea soup, noodle tea, or oil tea.

This place not only offers snacks, but also a variety of handicrafts and other items.

Clay figurines, dough figurines, facial masks, theatrical figures, brown figurines, monkey figurines, bamboo snakes and butterflies, bamboo and wooden knives and spears, silk and paper flowers, rag dolls, cloth tigers, Chinese knots, etc.

He Yuzhu bought several items to take home as decorations; Chinese knots and bamboo and wooden knives and spears were quite nice ornaments.

The two of them ate candied hawthorns and strolled leisurely through the temple fair. They weren't in a hurry; if they didn't finish today, they could continue tomorrow.

The sounds of suona horns and drums are invigorating. The bridal sedan chairs, bobbing up and down, left and right, are mesmerizing; anyone can sit inside and experience the swaying – it's quite an interactive program.

The performances at the temple fair are a must-see. Watching traditional folk arts brings laughter, watching plays requires appreciation, and listening to popular songs can even lead to singing along.

The most distinctive feature of Changdian is its books, hence the large proportion of book stalls at the temple fair. A dazzling array of books.

The main sign of the formation of Liulichang Cultural Street is the emergence of a large number of bookstores. Antique and calligraphy shops outnumbered bookstores, but the bookstores here are still the largest and most concentrated in Beijing.

This place flourished after the Liulichang kiln factory was relocated during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. In particular, the opening of the Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries) in 1733 (the 38th year of Qianlong's reign) attracted compilers from all over the country to the capital. Many of them lived in the Xuanwu area and came here to search for books and conduct research, which made the Liulichang book market even more prosperous.

At that time, there were more than 30 famous antique and booksellers. The Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries) took 10 years to compile and, according to records, had 360 compilers. How could Liulichang not prosper?

By the early years of the Guangxu reign, there were more than 220 bookstores and more than 50 shops selling antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and rubbings.

Bookstores founded in the Qing Dynasty include Lai Xun Ge, Yi Ya Tang, Wen Kui Tang, Song Yun Ge, and Commercial Press.

Songzhuzhai, established in the 11th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign (1672), is today's Rongbaozhai; Huaiyinshanfang and Boguzhai were founded during the Xianfeng era; Yidege Ink Factory was founded during the Tongzhi era; Qingyuntang, Yunguzhai, Baoguzhai, Baojinzhai, Cuizhenzhai, and Qingmigge were founded during the Guangxu era. Zhonghua Book Company and Suiyazhai were established during the Republic of China period.

Many famous figures, including Lu Xun, Zheng Zhenduo, Zhang Boju, Zhu Ziqing, Deng Tuo, Lao She, Qi Baishi, Zhang Daqian, and Chen Banding, were frequent visitors here.

In 1927, Hepingmen was opened up, Changqiao Bridge was demolished, and Nanxinhua Street was built, dividing Liulichang into two parts: East Liulichang, which mainly dealt in antiques, and West Liulichang, which mainly dealt in secondhand books.

He Yuzhu chose to visit the Changdian Temple Fair mainly to buy books for himself, which were not available in the system's online store.

Why not buy some paint, rice paper, paintbrushes, or a sketchbook for rainwater? Buy a little bit, and once you have a source, you can add it directly from the system store later.