National Day – 國慶節 – guó qìng jié

Today, The People’s Republic of China celebrates it’s 60th National Day, 國慶節 – guó qìng jié, the equavilent of the Independence Day in the U.S.

Besides the military parade, and the flag raising ceremony, the government has planned a huge fireworks display in Beijing, the capital city. It is said that this year’s fireworks will be twice as large and grand as the one showcased during the last Olympic, also in Beijing. Be sure to check out the Wall Street Jounal blog for up to date updates of this historical event.

The average Chinese citizen, however will not be present for the parade, most try to take advantage of the mandatory 1 week vacation to travel around the country. So bear in mind, do not visit China during the first week of October where all the hotels, restaurants, tourist attractions are over crowded unless you have to be in China for a reason. Of course, if you like crowds and wish to experience what 1.3 billion people feels like, this will be perfect.