March 14, 2008 -- About 80 million tourists attended the February "Big Temple Fair" in Chengdu, bringing in 8 million yuan (US$1.12 million) for the region.

According to an executive from the Wu Hou Shrine, the host of the temple fair, this was an increase of 17 percent over last year. The executive declined to be quoted by name.

Over the course of the last few years, the Chengu fair has become of the top three temple fairs in China, along with the Beijing Di Tan Temple Fair, and the Nanjing Confucius Temple Fair.

Next year, Chengdu's Wuhou Shrine will be bringing the fair to France, according to a preliminary cooperation and communication plans agreement.

Temple fair revenues include entrance tickets, stall rentals, and other miscellaneous income streams. The bulk of the income was from stall rentals, reported the state-owned Sichuan Daily newspaper.

"From the Big Temple Fair of 2008 in Chengdu, the most important thing we can see is the great economic profit from the activity," Jingwu Deng, professor of cultural industry school of Chengdu University, told Emerging China. "Also, residents enjoyed the recreation and performances.

For foreigners, temple fair is definitely a cultural experience, because it demonstrates a core and meangful aspect of Chinese culture. Visitors can also enjoy the craftsmanship and artistic expression of woks displayed by local artisans, fair officials said

More details of this international cooperation about the export of the Chengdu's "Big Temple Fair" to France will be available in the second half of this year, according to Wu Hou Shrine officials.