The Longfusi Summer Fair, now underway in one of Beijing's historic districts, celebrates the Chinese concept of Fu — happiness and good fortune.
Blending the charm of a traditional temple fair with the energy of a modern night market, the event reflects how urban renewal has transformed the area into a vibrant cultural and commercial destination.
Running from mid-June through October, the fair offers visitors Beijing specialties from time-honored brands, craft beer and tea, live performances, and hands-on experiences showcasing 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," says Yang Yaolu, a marketing executive with Beijing Xinlongfu Cultural Investment Co Ltd, which oversees the area's conservation and renewal project.
With a history stretching back nearly 600 years, Longfusi in Beijing's Dongcheng district was once home to one of the capital's most celebrated temple fairs. More than a decade of careful restoration has gradually transformed it into a new 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.
Yang says the area's commercial mix was carefully curated to complement Longfusi's cultural identity.
"By breathing new life into tradition through contemporary expressions, we've created a destination that increasingly appeals to visitors, especially younger people," she says.
Rather than replacing the neighborhood through large-scale demolition, the project focused on preserving existing buildings and the historic street layout. A layered conservation approach allows architectural traces from different eras to coexist, highlighting the district's rich history, Yang adds.
The restoration involved extensive research and repeated rounds of planning. Designers refined the spatial layout while ensuring it blended naturally with the surrounding neighborhood and urban landscape.
"Despite many challenges, the work required the precision of embroidery," Yang says, describing a conservation approach tailored to local conditions and guided by careful scientific study.
The closer integration of culture and commerce has also created new 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 vending commodities, the store features folk art experiences, where visitors can sit down at a long table and are given personalized instructions on crafting skills, including cutting and gluing paper, crescent-shaped trimming, hand-dyeing and assembly.
Li expects more forms of revenue to come in during the summer vacation. "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."
Together with the Forbidden City and Wangfujing, Longfusi forms Dongcheng district's "Golden Triangle of Culture". Experts say the three destinations, each rich in historical and cultural heritage, are expected to become one of Beijing's signature attractions for tourism, leisure and cultural consumption.
"As a committed practitioner of urban renewal, Longfusi will help the cultural heritage of the ancient city of Beijing continue to shine in the new era," Yang adds.
XINHUA
