Morning Post 96101 Hotline News (Chief Reporter Wang Bin) - Skipping the New Year's Eve dinner, not watching the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, and not fearing the severe cold of -13℃, all they want is to burn the first incense stick of the year. They are all pilgrims. At 10 PM last night, nearly 40 people had already gathered in front of the Yonghe Temple, waiting to burn the first incense stick of the Dragon Year.
At 8 PM last night, there were few pedestrians or vehicles on the streets. On the street leading to the Yonghe Temple, apart from a few residents setting off fireworks, most of the people present were police officers, city management personnel, and firefighters ensuring safety. However, at the entrance of the Yonghe Temple, more than ten people were either standing or sitting, making it livelier than other places. A young man told reporters that they were all there to queue up for burning the first incense stick on the first day of the lunar new year. "I didn't even have the New Year's Eve dinner; I just ate some bread," he said. People who came to offer incense brought their own incense sticks, as well as stools, blankets, and other items, preparing for a long wait.
Another young woman surnamed Tian, who works in Beijing, decided not to rush home during the Spring Festival travel rush because she often goes back home during other times. "I'm spending the New Year alone, so I thought I'd try something new." Miss Tian said that none of them were the first one; an auntie was the first. The reporter noticed that those who came to burn the first incense stick did not line up, seemingly indifferent to who was ahead. Miss Tian revealed the secret: the auntie not only arrived the earliest but also issued numbers to everyone present and changed the numbers every two hours. When Miss Tian arrived, she was number 16, but after the numbers were changed twice, she became number 13.
"That's her, the auntie is back." As she spoke, a medium-height auntie walked to the gate. The auntie surnamed Zhang claimed that she had come to the gate of the Yonghe Temple at 6 AM on New Year's Eve. "I arrived earlier than the vendors selling incense; the second person came at 8 AM." Aunt Zhang said that issuing numbers was to maintain order and avoid disputes among people. Changing the numbers every two hours was also to ensure fairness, preventing someone from taking a number and then going home, returning at dawn, which would be unfair to others who queued overnight.
Being able to burn the first incense stick made Aunt Zhang very happy. "It's all about praying for blessings and good luck," she said. However, becoming the first one required effort. Her lunch and New Year's Eve dinner were both delivered by her family from Xiyuan. "The New Year's Eve dinner was just stir-fried dishes, eaten while standing outside." Aunt Zhang said she wasn't afraid of the cold, but the nearby sisters interjected, "How could it not be cold? It's -13℃ tonight!" Subsequently, several people moved small stools and huddled together at the gate, saying, "Let's all gather together, it'll be warmer!"
At 10 PM, when the reporter left, more people continued to arrive. Aunt Zhang said, "At midnight, we will start organizing the queue, then wait until the temple opens at 6 AM tomorrow morning to burn the first incense stick."
■News Link
Yonghe Temple Security First Uses Metal Detectors
Morning Post Report (Reporter Hao Tao) - On the first day of the lunar new year, the fifth day, and the fifteenth day, during the key periods of Buddhist activities at the Yonghe Temple, over a thousand security personnel organized by the Dongcheng police will maintain order on-site. Yesterday, the Dongcheng police announced that to ensure the smooth conduct of the Buddhist incense-burning activities at the Yonghe Temple, metal detectors (as shown in the picture) were used for the first time.
This year, during the Spring Festival, the Dongcheng police will set up six metal detectors and two X-ray machines for the first time at the entrance of the Yonghe Temple. All tourists coming for the incense-burning ceremony will pass through the security check channels. Their bags will be inspected by the X-ray machine and checked by handheld security devices, prohibiting the carrying of controlled knives, dangerous flammable materials, etc.
Based on the historical flow of people during the incense-burning activities, the Dongcheng police estimated that nearly 70,000 citizens would visit the Yonghe Temple on the first day of the lunar new year. The police will use hard barriers to divide the street into two parts, with the east side serving as the pedestrian passage and the west side reserved as an emergency lane, accessible only to rescue vehicles in case of emergencies. To orderly guide the on-site order, the Dongcheng police will temporarily close over ten alleys on both sides of the Yonghe Street and the entrances and exits of the Guozijian Street.
To avoid excessive crowding, starting at 6 AM on the first day of the lunar new year, during the open incense-burning period at the Yonghe Temple, the Yonghe Street will implement single-directional traffic. Visitors will enter uniformly from the south entrance of Yonghe Street and leave from the north entrance. When the number of visitors approaches the specified upper limit, the Dongcheng police will take measures such as segmenting, batching, checking, and releasing people accordingly. Photographed by Wu Jun.
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