There is nothing more Nanjing than to go to Confucius Temple during the Lantern Festival, especially tonight, the evening of the first full moon of Chinese New Year. As such, tens of thousands of people turn out for the ritual. This year, it’s by appointment only.
Anyone who has braved the Lantern Festival in years past at Confucius Temple (Fuzimiao) on this, the 15th day of the 1st month in the lunar calendar, will testify as to the density of the crowd. People squeezed together have no choice but to move with the flow, as many attempt a look at the lanterns from the famed Wende Bridge over the Qinhuai River.
But with epidemic prevention still that which Chinese authorities are living by, this year multiple restrictions have been put in place to keep us all safe, reports the Yangtze Evening News.
First up, a strict limit of 20,000 visitors at any one time shall be observed in Confucius Temple. For Laomendong, the limit is 15,000. To facilitate such, those wishing to visit either attraction are required to make an appointment 1 day in advance.
In addition, some of the entry/exit points for Confucius Temple shall be reconfigured as exit only. Given that the flow of people is generally from northeast to southwest, these include many points on the southern side of the attraction, such as those at Xipaifang, Wende Bridge, Wenyuan Bridge and Confucius Temple Primary School.
Around the two sites, from 12:00 today until 23:00, roads shall be closed to traffic, including parts of Changle Lu, Zhonghua Lu, Jiankang Lu, Pingjiangfu Lu and Kutong Lane.
The closed-off sections of these roads may also be enlarged in the event of excessive visitor numbers.
Metro users looking to enjoy the Lantern Festival this year will also have quite a walk on their hands tonight. From 17:30 until 21:00, trains on Nanjing Metro Line 1 will not stop at Sanshan Jie Station. Over on Line 3, trains will be passing by Fuzimiao Station for the same period.
Nanjing’s traffic management department reminds citizens and tourists that they should try to avoid visiting the two popular spots during peak times until 28 February.
