The Taierzhuang ancient town scenic area is hosting a temple fair in grand style from Dec 30 to Feb 19 to welcome the New Year as well as offer visitors an art and cultural extravaganza full of Spring Festival atmosphere.

Designed to promote traditional Chinese culture and build an appealing New Year tourism brand, the temple fair includes a series of vibrant activities such as shehuo (a folk show celebrating the customs of traditional Chinese festivals) parades, lion dance competitions, dragon dance shows and traditional opera performances.

Covering an area of 2 square kilometers, Taierzhuang ancient town is surrounded by the waterway of the Grand Canal in Shandong section. As a transport hub and thriving trading center, the town dates back 2,000 years and was once praised by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) as the "No 1 town under heaven".

The town is also the site of the Battle of Taierzhuang, an important victory during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

Taierzhuang ancient town is adorned with colored lanterns to welcome the New Year in Zaozhuang, East China's Shandong province. As a popular tourism destination, the town offers picturesque water town landscapes as well as wonderful night views. [Photo/VCG]

A dragon-shaped giant lantern greets visitors from all over the world at the east gate of Taierzhuang ancient town in Zaozhuang, East China's Shandong province. [Photo/VCG]

Surrounded by the waterway of the time-honored Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, Taierzhuang ancient town is spruced up with festive lanterns and colored lights to greet the New Year and visitors from around the world. [Photo/VCG]