Tours and holidays with added interest
National Day
October 1st is National Day in China. This is the anniversary of the declaration of the founding of the People's Republic of China by Chairman Mao from Tiananmen Gate.
The National Day celebrations are only marked by large-scale parades every 5 years. There are firework displays all over China with the most spectacular often being the one in Hong Kong. Concerts are held in many of the larger cities, and just about every town decorates its streets with flowers and red lanterns.
The day itself has always been a public holiday; since 1999 the week following has also been a holiday - known as a 'golden Week'. This is a reference to the huge amounts of money spent by the locals making the most of this precious free time.
Travel services during this period are swamped by demand. Tickets can be difficult to arrange and some prices are raised, especially for accommodation in tourist hotspots. This makes it a time best avoided by foreign visitors unless, of course, they have a special interest in being part of the celebrations.
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Current Comments
2 comments so far (post your own)Hi Dylan
The cycle is based on the founding of the PRC in from 1949 so the big parades are in years ending in 4 or 9. You can still go to Tiananmen Squre - they always have some spectacular flower arrangements - and see if you can find out if there are any local firework displays on that evening.
Posted by China Journeys on Tue 14 Feb, 2012
I'm going to be there this October. Is this year one with a big parade. Could be fun
Posted by Dylan on Tue 14 Feb, 2012