National Day (国庆节guó qìng jié) is a pretty important holiday for every country. However, National Days are called differently in different countries. In addition to the “National Day” in many countries, some countries call it “Independence Day”, and some call it “Republic Day”, “Revolution Day”, “Liberation Day”, “National Revival Day”, “Constitution Day”, etc. Some directly add “day” behind the name of the country, such as “Australia Day” and “Pakistan Day”, while others use the king’s birthday or enthronement day as the national day. If the king changes, the specific date of the national day will also be changed.
Do you know which day is China’s National Day? What do Chinese people usually do on National Day? What is the connection between China’s National Day (中国国庆节zhōng guó guó qìng jié) and Golden Week (黄金周huáng jīn zhōu)? Here are six facts you need to know!
China’s National Day in Shanghai, China
1. Ancient China’s National Day
In ancient China, the term “National Day” originally referred to national celebrations and was first seen in the Western Jin Dynasty (西晋xī jìn). Generally, the emperor’s enthronement and birthday were called “National Day”.
But in the strict sense, National Day in ancient China was not the same as it is today. National Day was worth celebrating when the country was rich and peaceful. After the working people’s hard work and heavy harvest, they hold great celebrations on the Mid-Autumn Festival, looking forward to the next year’s good weather. Even the emperors who lived in the palace hold a ceremony every spring to pray for the prosperity of the country.
2. Contemporary China’s National Day
History keeps moving forward. On October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People’s Republic of China to the world on the Tian’anmen Square (天安门广场tiān ān mén guǎng chǎng) in Beijing. Therefore, China’s National Day now is October 1st, the anniversary of the official founding of the People’s Republic of China. This year marks the 73th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
Tian’anmen Square
3. About October 1st
October 1st is China’s National Day. In fact, this day is not only China’s National Day, but also the National Day for other two countries every year. One is Cyprus and the other is Nigeria. Cyprus is a Commonwealth island country located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, on the border between Europe and Asia. Nigeria is a country with a long history in Africa.
4. The Golden Week
National Day Golden Week (国庆黄金周 guó qìng huáng jīn zhōu): Since 1999, National Day is China’s Golden Week holiday. The statutory holiday time for National Day is 3 days. Chinese people adjust the two weekends before and after the holiday, together, for a total of 7 days. Compared with other public holidays, Golden Week holiday is also called “Long Holiday (长假cháng jià)”. And it usually named by a festival, namely “May 1 Long Holiday (五一长假wǔ yī cháng jià)” and “October 1 Long Holiday (十一长假shí yī cháng jià)”.
National Day Golden Week in China
5. A feast of festive tourism consumption
National Day in 1999 was China’s first Golden Week. According to statistics, China’s comprehensive tourism revenue was 14.1 billion yuan, and the holiday tourism boomed through the country.
The long holiday system is also regarded as a major measure to stimulate domestic demand and promote consumption. Holiday tourism is favored by people as the main pastime, and tourism has developed rapidly because of this, gradually developing from the edge of the national economy into a national strategic industry.
National Day Golden Week in China
6. Celebrations
During the one-week celebrations, several events will be held to commemorate the revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the founding of the People’s Republic of China. In the run-up to the proud occasion, Beijing has been covered with flower decorations and festive plant sculptures. At the iconic Tian’anmen Square, a giant flower basket is attracting many tourists. And the flag-raising ceremony at Tian’anmen Square is something that shouldn’t be missed.
flower basket at Tian’anmen Square
More about National Day
As a legal public holiday, National Day represents national coherence, which honors 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.
flag-raising ceremony
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