Editor's note: Ankit Prasad is a CGTN biz commentator. The article reflects the author's views and not necessarily those of CGTN. Moving to Beijing on the cusp of the Chinese New Year holiday has been an unqualified and unexpected boon.
Of course, we'd heard about its import and liveliness, particularly since it has been inscribed in UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity. And we have enjoyed streets bursting with all kinds of decorations and food. But nothing could have prepared us for just how eyeopening and fun it would be to partake in the celebrations first hand.
By this, I mean visiting Beijing's famous Spring Festival temple fairs! On our first opportunity this Saturday, we decided to make a day out of it by combining our weekly shopping with visits to two remarkable, though different-sounding, temple fairs. The second would be the popular and traditional temple fair on the well-known Liulichang Cultural Street. But the first was an innovation even for the experienced – an AI and robotics-themed temple fair in Wukesong.
Excited, and not knowing what to expect, we took the subway to our destination, arriving there with a reasonable few hours of sunlight on what was an overcast day. The venue had mixed outdoor and indoor shopping areas, and the special Chinese New Year attractions were easy to find. Our first look at a robot temple fair exhibit was among the most enjoyable.
We entered just in time to hear the whistle for a robot football match! There.