China prepares for National Day celebrations
Public transportation systems in China will face one of the year's peak travel seasons over this weekend and next week, as a large part of the population is expected to travel to National Day celebrations. The People’s Republic of China will mark its 57th anniversary on Sunday, October 1.
A weeklong public holiday called a "Golden Week" will follow the National Day.
According to the estimates from the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC), the peak times for air travel will be on September 29 and 30. This year, over 3 million are expected to travel during the holiday, an increase of 13.5 percent from last year.
The Chinese enjoy three "Golden Week" holidays annually around the Spring Festival, International Labor Day, and National Day. Vice-director of the National Tourism Administration, Wang Zhifa, told China Daily that the tradition of having a week off from work around those holidays is likely to be altered in the future because the quality of people's traveling experiences have suffered a deflation.
According to Wang, many popular holiday spots are crowded during public holidays and the service capacity of the travel sector has not been able to meet consumer demands. Wang stressed the importance of having holidays, but that research on how to arrange public holidays will be conducted in the future.
Li Yiping, an economics professor with the Renmin University of China, told China Daily that one solution would be the installation of a paid holiday system, where people would have more choice over when to take their own holidays. This would ensure that the entire country would not be on holiday at the same time.
The current holiday scheme was initiated by the Chinese government in 1999 with the aim of boosting domestic demand, stimulating consumption and restructuring the economy. At first establishing three fixed national holiday weeks helped the economy by boosting spending, but now the system is having a reverse effect because the holidays cause seasonal booms, Li added.
Over the last six years, people's spending habits have changed with more people staying at home instead of traveling during the holidays, Li remarks. Safety is also an issue of concern with a peak in accidents being reported during the holidays.
Li also urged the government to cancel compulsory "Golden Weeks" because if they are not abandoned, employers will not give employees paid holidays.
An inherent part of National Day celebrations in China involves the gathering of tens of thousands of people in Beijing's Tiananmen Square and other key venues for the Grand National Flag-Raising Ceremony.