In this lesson, students will learn about China's National Day Holiday.
WHAT IS Golden Week?
October 1st is China's National Day which commemorates the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 (Communist China). There are usually national celebrations and military parades in Tian'anmen Square, Beijing to acknowledge and celebrate the day.National Day is always a week long celebration, October 1–7 and is referred to as ‘Golden Week’. It is the biggest week for tourism in China when people have a week off to visit their families and take trips for the holiday around China and abroad. Because it is a national holiday and China has a big population, this means millions of people travel across China and there are large crowds everywhere during this week.
HOW is it celebrated?
Explore these videos and ask students to note down any ways they observe the festival being celebrated. They may choose to draw pictures of the ways they see afterwards, then share. Ask them to focus on activities done and anything else they note.
China celebrates National Day ‘Golden Week’ holiday with colour and crowds
China’s Golden Week By Numbers
Read together Golden Week in China and ask students to take notes and identify key information about the festival and how it is celebrated.
ACTIVITY: Tourism in China
10 Best Places to Visit in China
Ask students if they know any famous tourist spots in China e.g. The Great Wall or The Panda Reserve (in Chengdu). There are many famous tourism spots that are visited during National Week and at other times during the year. After watching the video above, students make a poster with 3-4 of their favourites and places they would like to visit.
ACTIVITY: Sustainable Travelling
Tourists swarm mountain during Golden Week
Millions on the move as China welcomes ‘Golden Week’, first major holiday after coronavirus
Watch the videos above and identify the challenges that are faced by the tourism industry and travellers during this period. Working in groups, identify solutions to the issues identified linked to the fact that all of China is on holiday at the same time and most people travel in this period e.g. move the holiday for different states, build temporary hotels, etc.
EXTENSION: National Week - Pros and Cons
Reviewing what they learnt about Golden Week, students should identify pros and cons of having the festival at the same time each year when everyone wants to travel. They can use Resource Sheet: National Week Pros and Cons to identify different perspectives or, if it is printed off, complete it with notes for each section.