A SERIES of temple fairs will be held at Tianhou Palace in Qingdao from Feb. 2 to 17 to celebrate the Chinese lunar New Year.

    Temple fair, miaohui in Chinese, is a traditional cultural gathering adjacent to temples. In modern times, temple fairs are usually held around the time of the Chinese New Year. Activities include worshipping deities, entertainment and shopping.

    There will be performances of traditional Chinese operas at the opera house at Tianhou Palace between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. from Feb. 2 to Feb. 8, including Beijing Opera and Lu opera.

    Because 2011 is the year of the rabbit, an exhibition of rabbit culture will also be on show until Feb. 25, featuring paper cuts and rabbit toys. It will allow residents to not only enjoy folk art but also learn about the traditional Chinese culture of the year of the rabbit.

    A program of lantern riddles will be held between Feb. 3 and 8 from 9:30 to 12:00 in the morning. Folk artists will display their skills in making paper cuts, carving and weaving.

    Visitors can experience the Qingdao folk tradition of worshipping the God of Fortune at 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 7.

    Antique specialists will provide free assessments of antiques on Feb. 12 and 13 between 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

    Feb. 17 is the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival when there will be a series of performances and program of lantern riddles.

    (Jane Lai)