October 1st is right around the corner and you know what that means? Chinese National Day! So what exactly is Chinese National Day? It is the day that the People’s Republic of China was founded, in 1949.
So what happens on National Day? Well there will be a handful of very grandiose celebrations which usually include a ceremonial display of the military and a traditional display of fireworks. National day lasts for 3 days since 1997 but the people of China get a 7 day vacation when merged with 2 weekends on either side of the event. During this “Golden Week” in China, many people use the time off of work to travel, visit family, and get some overdue shopping taken care of.
The most notable event that takes place on October 1st is the National Day Parade. The parade kicks off the festivities at roughly 10:00am in Tiananmen Square, the place where Chairman Mao declared the new Chinese order. The national flag is hoisted and the parade begins. The parade itself lasts just over an hour and includes many different marching formations from the military. In one of the more recent National Days China also displayed over 50 new military weapons that were manufactured in China and a nuclear missile.
Where did National Day come from? Historically, China was ruled by dynasties which took turns ruling the empire. The last dynasty to rule China before the P.R.C. was the Qing Dynasty. In 1949 the people of China won their independence being led by Mao Zedong of the Communist party. Chairman Mao declared the creation of New China in Tiananmen Square and shortly after declared that October 1st would be the date of National Day.
Willy
