Beijing, DongYue Temple 

是什么，他怎么办呢？

not sure, but as everything around Chinese New Year in temples has to do with wishing luck and happiness to your (living and departed) loved ones, I guess this is another variety of doing so.
it seems that your Chinese is quite good, maybe you can read some of the papers in front? :-)

well, I was applying g-translate to work out some of your tags, ... :(

looks like the visitors first list the(ir) names & the dignitary then formalises them, stamps & all?

I planned to ask my Chinese teacher today, but I forgot :-(
Next week ...

謝謝您

what I understand is that the yellow documents are a kind of certificate stating that the person and his family are Taoists and that it confirms a wish for happiness and luck.

thanks - it figures

taoism is not too familar to me, but to my rational western mind a vague unrest scratches somewhere over the question how the man with the impressive hat could know that he's rightfully issuing the document...