by Xinhua writer Wang Bin
BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The Longfusi Summer Fair, currently being held in a historic area in central Beijing, revolves around the theme of "Fu", literally translated as "happiness" or "good fortune."
Combining the atmosphere of a traditional Chinese temple fair with a modern night market, the event has itself gained good fortune from urban renewal efforts, allowing it to now offer a diverse range of consumption scenarios.
At the fair, which began in mid-June and is scheduled to continue into October, people can enjoy Beijing specialty foods by time-honored brands, drink cool beers or tea beverages, and appreciate a dazzling array of craftsmanship of intangible cultural heritage.
"An 'urban summer night lounge' is what we have in mind -- a place where people can eat, go shopping, enjoy performances and have fun," said Yang Yaolu, a marketing executive with Beijing Xinlongfu Cultural Investment Co., Ltd.
Xinlongfu is responsible for the implementation and operation of the landscape protection and urban renewal project of the Longfusi area.
Dating back nearly 600 years, Longfusi, located in Dongcheng District in central Beijing, was once known for hosting one of the city's most important temple fairs.
For over a decade, renovation efforts have helped it emerge as a cultural landmark.
The first phase of the Longfusi development project was put into operation in August 2019, debuting as a cultural creative park featuring urban reading rooms, art galleries and shared offices.
In September 2025, the second phase of the project was opened to the public, introducing more diverse attractions including cultural performances, technological experiences and time-honored brands.
Regarding the selection and integration of the commercial brands and business formats, Yang said the general cultural setting of Longfusi was taken into account. "The charm of tradition being revitalized has thus found expressions of modernity, which have served as the gravitational pull for an increasing range of visitors, especially the younger generation," Yang said.
She explained that, instead of reckless demolition of old buildings all at once, the renovation work was advanced on the basis of preserving most of the surrounding architecture and the spacial layout already in existence.
Layered protection was applied, and the historical traces from different periods of times came to coexist in a harmonious mix, said Yang.
Painstaking studies and multiple rounds of deliberations were involved throughout the process. The design team had optimized the spatial rhythm, while taking into consideration the organic integration with the neighborhood and the dynamic interplay with the urban landscape.
"In spite of multiple challenges, the work was done with the meticulous care demanded in the art of embroidery," said Yang, referring to a science-based, locality-specific approach.
Reinforced interplay between culture and commerce has brought more business opportunities.
Li Mei, an inheritor of Beijing's intangible cultural heritage Fanlihua, also known as paper flip flowers, runs a workshop named Zhuangyuan at Longfu Mansion. Besides commodities vending, the store features experience of folk art, where visitors can sit down by a long table and are given personalized instructions on crafting skills, including cutting and gluing paper, crescent shape trimming, hand-dyeing and assembly.
Li expected more forms of revenue to come in during the summer vocation period. "Hopefully cooperation between Longfusi and the surrounding hotels or tour groups can be boosted, so that more visitors will be drawn here by the appeal of historical legacies of Chinese traditional culture."
Longfusi, together with the Forbidden City and Wangfujing, has been developed as a "Golden Triangle of Culture" by the Dongcheng District government. Experts said the locations, steeped in unique historical and cultural legacies, are poised to become a "golden business card" for Beijing -- a major international attraction of tourism and leisure consumption.
"As a committed practitioner of urban renewal, Longfusi will help the cultural heritage of the ancient city of Beijing to continue to shine in the new era," Yang added. ■
