The People's Republic of China (PRC) observes its anniversary on 1 October. China's National Day has been celebrated in various ways during the history of the PRC.
In China, the holiday is officially three days, but the holidays are usually extended by bridge holidays compensated by working on weekends depending how the holiday falls in the week. This creates a so-called 'Golden Week' of holidays. This makes it the second largest holiday period in China. This approach was introduced in 2000 to help boost domestic tourism and to allow families to make long journeys to visit relatives.
History of Chinese National Day
The People's Republic of China was founded on 1 October 1949 with a ceremony at Tian'anmen Square.
In December 1949, the Chinese Government passed the Resolution on the National Day of the People's Republic of China, declaring that 1 October is the National Day of China.
From 1950 - 1959, grand rallies and massive military parades were held to mark the National Day.
In 1960, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the State Council decided to simplify the celebration, according to the principle of building up the country through hard work and frugality.
From 1960 until 1970, mass rallies were still held in Tian'anmen Square, though military parades were canceled.
From 1971 to 1983, visiting parks and other galas replaced mass rallies and military parades.
Grand celebrations have been rare held since then, except for the mass rallies and military parades in 1984 and 1999 to commemorate the 35th anniversary and 50th anniversary of the founding of the PRC.
Most people believe that countries' national days are of crucial cultural importance, acting as symbols of independent states and reflecting a country's government system.
Hong Kong
National Day activities in Hong Kong start with a special flag-raising ceremony by the Hong Kong Police Force beside the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Other events include a National Day reception and a firework display, as well as hundreds of district events over the weekend.
