【Learn Chinese】National Day: Golden Week Holiday

China National Day, officially the National Day of the People's Republic of China, is annually celebrated on October 1st to commemorate the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Chinese people enjoy a 7-day holiday from Oct. 1st to 7th, which is known as Golden Week. There are usually many activities held around the country, especially in Beijing. It is a peak time for Chinese people to travel at home and abroad.

National Day: 国庆节 (guó qìng jié)
Golden Week: 黄金周 (huáng jīn zhōu)
National Day holiday is fixed at October 1–7 with adjacent weekend days being mandatory workdays to make up for the lost time. In 2023, the holiday dates are Oct. 1st to 7th, 2023. People will be on duty on Oct. 8 (Sat) and Oct. 9 (Sun).
This one-week period is also called "golden week" because it is the biggest week for tourism in China when people have a week off to reunite with families and take trips. Many tourist attractions raise tickets prices, prices of flights and hotel rooms soar during National Day Golden Week.
 
The History of China's National Day
On October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China was inaugurated. An official victory celebration and ceremony were held in Tian'anmen Square. Mao Zedong raised the first Communist national flag of China in person amid 300,000 soldiers and other people who were gathered at the square.
 
National Day Celebrations/Activities
China National Day is celebrated China with a variety of activities. Public places are decorated with flags and flowers. Beijing hosts the biggest celebrations.
Oct. 1st Military Review & Parade in Beijing: The highlight of the national celebrations in Beijing is the national civil-military parade. It does not hold annually, and it is now held on a small scale every 5 years and on a large scale every 10 years.
The National Day Flag Raising Ceremony: On October 1, there is a special flag raising ceremony at Tian'anmen Square. The square is decorated festively with flags and portraits. Exactly at sunrise, uniformed troops march out to start the flag raising ceremony.