Listening to the Bell of the Cold Mountain Temple at the New Year's Eve
he activity of listening to the bell of Cold Mountain Temple at the New Year's Eve was held annually since 1979. Now it has become one of the largest and earliest tourist festivals in our country.
The activity starts with the Chinese traditional dinner at the New Year's Eve. During the dinner, there will be entertainment shows, and impromptu performances from tourists and employees, which will make the dinner even more exciting and interesting.
The climax of the activity is attained in the Cold Mountain Temple. Outside the temple in the Hanshansi Alley and Fengqiao Street there will stage a series of folk custom demonstrations, such as dragon lantern, lion dance, stilts, boat rowing and sedan sitting.
The monks in the temple will chant scriptures for the last time of the year in the hall filled with in cense smoke. Completed in 1995, the 41-meter-high tower was modeled after Puming Tower of Tang Dynasty. The grand ceremony was held in the 31st, December 1995 to celebrate its foundation. Nowadays the visitors participating in the activity will have opportunities to ascend this splendid tower.
At midnight, sounds of the bell dispelled worries of the old year. How auspicious! The firecrackers welcome the arrival of the New Year. How jolly and exciting!