After a year long hiatus, the Carden China blog is back and here to stay.
Every year, Carden China’s foreign and Chinese teachers are given a holiday in the beginning of October. This holiday is known as National Day of the People’s Republic of China; it typically lasts for 7-8 days. However, holidays in China are often made-up on the weekends. Thus, our awkward work week began on a Tuesday and ended on a Saturday.
Although our foreign staff consists of all North Americans, we still take advantage of this holiday to relax, have fun, and travel domestically and internationally. Since many locals in Beijing are not natives of the big capital, many Chinese people take this rare opportunity to return to their hometowns and visit family. It is advisable to make advance bookings for one’s travels because the prices of tickets and hotels go up and places become extremely crowded. On my way to Rome this October holiday, the immigration area was engulfed by a sea of tourists. With no distinct lines, the wait took over 2 hours. Sometimes, it is easy to forget that Beijing is a city of 20 million people out of the 1.35 billion in China. In the last 10 years, there has been an increase in the middle to upper class echelons of Chinese society. As a result, in 2012, the Chinese overtook Americans and Germans as the world’s top tourism spenders with the total of 83 million people spending a record-breaking number of $102 billion in international tourism. With so many Chinese tourists abroad, the Chinese government created its first tourism law to address various issues pertaining to “appropriate” behavior and conduct while traveling. Not surprisingly, the law came into effect this past National holiday, the most traveled holiday in the country, next to Spring Festival (Chinese New Year). For more insight, check out CNN’s article: http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/03/travel/new-china-tourism-law/index.html?iref=allsearch
For those who choose to remain in Beijing, the traditional festivities of National Day begin with the ceremonial raising of the Chinese national flag in Tiananmen Square, the largest public square in the world. It is preceded by a national parade. As an American, I envision parades to be a jamboree filled with tons of floats, various performances, marching bands, and live music among many others. However, the parade of China’s National Day is not your annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade; it is something of greater magnitude and national pride. It is a means to display the Communist Party and the People’s Liberation Army’s achievements while featuring thousands of marching soldiers in various formations. It is also a large exhibition of the country’s military forces which include tanks, fighter flights, and nuclear missiles. In the evening, a majestic demonstration is held as hundreds of fireworks are cast off into the sky as government officials partake in a regal state dinner. It is impossible to truly visualize the grandeur of the event until you see it for yourself. However, I would advise to simply watch it on your television as security is extremely tight around this time. As a Laowai (foreigner), you are sure to stick out among the crowd.
(2009 – The 60th anniversary of National Day)
The Brief History of National Day
The nerdy side of me wants to explain why this day is important. With a population of 1.35 billion people, the Chinese government doesn’t give days off easily. (For those of you who are curious, there are no such things are “snow days” here.) So here is a super brief history of how National Day came to fruition.
After the Qing Dynasty collapsed in 1911, the country was torn apart by warlords. Sun Yat-sen became the leader of the anti-monarchist group known as the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomingtang).Under the leadership of Sun Yat-sen and Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, who turned to foreign powers for help, the KMT was able to overthrown these warlords and unify the country. Following the Warlord era, the Communist Party (CCP) was established in 1921. The subsequent decades became a struggle for power as both parties claimed to be the legitimate government of the country. A civil war broke out between the two forces; it lasted a gruesome 23 years with intermittent horrific events such as the Japanese invasion in 1937. After the revered leader Mao Zedong’s victorious battles against the KMT, Chiang Kai-shek and those loyal to him fled to Taiwan.
At three o’clock on October 1, 1949 in the midst of 300,000 people, Mao Zedong declared the founding of the People’s Republic of China and waved the first five-star Chinese flag. Today, Mao’s picture still hangs in front of Forbidden City as a reminder of his glory. Sixty-four years later, his presence continues to resonate eerily in front of Tiananmen Square.
(Soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army standing in front of Forbidden City)
Beatrice
(2010-Present)
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