ISB Temple Fair

Temple fairs were begun in the 10th century and continued formally through the early 0th century and the Qing dynasty. Temples celebrated the Buddhist and Hindu faiths, while merchants set up booths outside. Gradually many fairs became more secular and now include performers, crafts, and foods for sale. During the Spring Festival (the week of Chinese New Year) most parks and temples have a temple fair. We haven't been...they are so crowded you literally can not move! ISB's temple fair is a less chaotic. The Chinese department shines as the kids show the songs, dances, and other performances they learn in their classes. All Chinese students, from kindergarden through 5th grade, perform. There's lots of red everywhere so even a cold dreary February day looks pretty festive!

Ava's (that's her on the right in the pink) class did a wu shu routine (a type of martial arts). She was pretty much overcome with embarrassment about the whole performance thing--it's that more than the cold that kept her face tucked into her coat! Noah did also did a type of martial arts routine, but seemed to have his eyes on a little cutie in the front row, so he looked a bit distracted (please Lord, don't let that be starting!) There were also dragon dances, chinese yo-yos, and drumming. What the kids love best, though, is that they're out of school for the afternoon to wander, buy trinkets, watch their friends, and play games.

Oh, and food. If there's one thing you can count on here, it's that if there's a group of people (and seriously, when isn't there a group of people in this country?) there's going to be food. Which is true, I suppose, for most everyone. Maybe that's why everywhere we go we feel like we're at Grand Old Days or something! I had to spend an hour monitoring the jian bing cart--delicious thin pancakes cooked like on a flat grill like a crepe. Add some egg, green onion, some sort of brown sauce, and some mystery cracker things, fold 'em up, and YUM! All for about 50 cents. You wouldn't think pancake management was a big deal, but HAH. It's one thing when the kids rush up and forget their line basics, but adults--sheesh. I showed a man where the other 8 people were lined up and he replied, "I'm just getting one." Yeah, you and everyone else, Buckwheat. At least three other women professed amazement: "Oh, we have to queue up? " Um, yeah. That's what we spend time teaching your children, you know...line up, take your turn, or a teacher will yell at you.

But the food...cold weather foods reign. Noodles (handmade and handstretched) are a fantastic treat. I'm not a sweet potato person, but hot roasted sweet potatos sold from the back of a bicycle cooker must be one of the best smells of a Beijing winter. Maybe I should start a baking potato cart...one cooker for those tiny new-skinned potatos with a light coat of olive oil and then baked with flaked salt, garlic, and rosemary. Another cooker with just big baked potatos-cheese, sour cream, chives, and bacon bits included. Wowza.

The treat that takes the cake are sugared fruit, called tanhulu. When it gets warmer you'll see strawberries, grapes, oranges, kiwi, pineapple, and watermelon, but I think these Hawthorn apples are the very best. And they are the very very VERY best if you can score one fresh out of the sugar syrup. A bonus if they get wrapped in rice paper, which the kids think is funny to eat. Hawthorn apples have the consistency of a slightly soft apple, but are tart like a crabapple. DELICIOSO!

I think the smile says it all!