Lion Dance Show at the 2009 Ditan Temple Fair. [Photo:CCTV.com]

During the Spring Festival 2010, the Year of the Tiger, there will be 63 cultural temple fairs, the largest number among all the years since the first temple fair was launched. These famous temple fairs that have a long history will continue to show their unique characteristics, and based on these original temple fairs, the first Old Summer Palace royal temple fair, the Jinyuan Yansha Mall temple fair and several other new temple fairs will also be launched.

The reporter learnt from the "cultural activities in Beijing for the Spring Festival 2010" press conference, which was held on January 28 by Beijing Culture Bureau and many other departments, that the Spring Festival evening party, a traditional Spring Festival feast that is most anticipated by the public, will be innovative this year: Beijing TV will, for the first time, launch seven online Spring Festival evening parties in a row, which will be broadcasted on sina.com.cn, Beijing TV's official website, and Beijing Satellite TV, from the first day to the seventh day of the first lunar month. Beijing residents will be able to enjoy the Spring Festival evening party on both the first day and the 15th day of the first lunar month.

In the meantime, thanks to the activity named "Spending Spring Festival Watching Movies," over ten New Year blockbusters, including Confucius, God of Wealth Arrives, and All's Well, Ends Well Too 2010 will be presented at more than 70 cinemas in Beijing before or after the Spring Festival in order to send the best Spring Festival wishes to Beijing residents as well as allow them to enjoy a feast of movies. Another activity, named "Spending Spring Festival in Museums" will provide new places for Beijing residents to visit during the Spring Festival. The Capital Museum, the Lao She Memorial Hall, the Temple of Confucius, the Beijing Folk Arts Museum and other public cultural places will provide Beijing residents with cultural service free of charge.

Among other activities, the "Talk About the Spring Festival" TV interview will enable Beijing residents who are tired after working for an entire year and looking forward to have a rest at home to enjoy a Spring Festival cultural feast without having to go outside. The interview will be comprised of five HD TV programs named "Chinese People, Chinese Spring Festival," "Spending Spring Festival – Families Live in Harmony," "Spending Spring Festival – The Fun of Temple Fairs," Spending Spring Festival – Celebrating Together," and Spending Spring Festival – Always Happy,” which will invite Shu Yi, Feng Jicai, Yu Dan, Ma Wei and other famous experts and scholars to discuss the issues about the culture of Spring Festival with ordinary people.

In addition, there will also be traditional opera performances, grass-roots cultural activities, a selection of the best text message that sends Spring Festival greetings, a DV competition among families, and the activity called "calligraphers and painters visit 10,000 families." These ten activities provide various content, and target the grass roots and the public, combining the pilot activities in Beijing with the cultural activities among the grass roots. The plan will be in the preparation phase from late January to February 13, and be then underway from February 14-28.