Month by Month - Beijing - page 46

March
It's almost time to put away the winter wardrobe. The domestic tourists who came for the Spring Festival have
gone, but foreign ones are arriving in numbers.
International Literary Festival
The excellent International Literary Festival ( Guójì Wénxué Jié) sees writers and biblio-
philes convening at the Bookworm ( www.chinabookworm.com ) for a two-week bonanza of
readings and talks. With a very strong line-up of international authors and local writers, it's
one of the key cultural events of the year. Get tickets early.
Guanyin's Birthday
Held on the 19th day of the second moon, the birthday of Guanyin ( Guānshìyīn Shēngrì),
the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, is a fine time to visit Buddhist temples. It falls on 19
March in 2014.