Fun facts about China’s National Day
THE PEOPLE’S Republic of China (PRC) was founded on October 1, 1949, and on September 21 of the same year, China’s new government passed the ‘Resolution on the National Day of the People’s Republic of China’, designating October 1 as China’s National Day.
After several modifications, it was decided that the Chinese mainland would observe a seven-day holiday (including two weekends) during National Day holiday, while Hong Kong will observe a day-long holiday and Macao will hold a twoday holiday, both are China’s Special Administrative Regions (SARS).
FUN FACTS ABOUT GOLDEN WEEK
I. Golden Week or wedding season
In recent years, the National Day Golden Week has become the most popular time for weddings. The seven-day holiday makes it a perfect occasion to host auspicious ceremonies and invite family and friends.
In a way, it also brings immense good luck and prosperity because, according to the Chinese tradition, guests should give newlywed couples red envelopes containing money as blessings.
As per a China Daily’s report, the common practice is to give no less than 300 to 500 yuan (US$43 to US$73), but sometimes it could be a three or four-digit figure.
II. Golden Week or shopping week
Visiting relatives and friends also means exchanging gifts, wearing new clothes and eating delicious food.
People throng malls and local markets. Many shops also offer special holiday deals to attract more customers.
According to Sina’s report, with the development of logistics and network and e-commerce websites, shopping has gradually become an important part of everyone’s life. Major e-commerce and offline shopping malls have also grasped the heat of Golden Week and launched various promotional activities.
III. TRAVEL OR NOT TRAVEL
Relevant data from China Tourism Academy show that since 1999, the number of travellers during the Golden Week has increased significantly.
Also, in recent years, the government has introduced welfare policies such as reducing high-speed fares during festivals and holidays to encourage internal tourism.
According to the report, tourism has become the most important consumer feature of the Golden Week, driven by favourable conditions such as rising income, improving transportation infrastructure, the popularisation of the Internet and smartphones, and relaxation of visas.
Also, the Golden Week has shown four major trends, including increasing enthusiasm for travel, upgrading consumption structure, disparity demand, and promotion of civilisation.
Even more noteworthy is the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-shenzhen-hong Kong Express Rail Link which started operation on September 23.
The national high-speed rail link between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong will significantly boost tourism.
But despite so many convenient options, many people still feel that travelling during Golden Week is not a good choice.
TIPS ON GOLDEN WEEK
I. Annual leave strategy
If the Mid-autumn Festival holiday falls within this period, there are many people who will choose to extend a few days of the Golden Week leisure.
There’s even a specific holiday recommendation, which gives you about 15 days off if you can ask five days paid annual leave off during that time. This refers only to the National Day of 2018.
II. To avoid...
General travel guides and websites advise people to avoid famous attractions during golden weeks. There are large crowds in transit everywhere in China at this time of year. Planning a journey in advance would be wise.
As a legal public holiday, National Day represents national coherence, which honours the predecessors’ contribution and the country’s bright future.
In fact, National Day is not just a Golden Week, but a day to be remembered by the Chinese people. While spending the leisure holiday, people should not forget the profound meaning of the establishment of this festival.