The week-long National Day is coming soon in China, this is good news for most of Chinese employees here.

The National Day of the People's Republic of China is October 1. It is a public holiday in the People's Republic of China to celebrate its national day.

The PRC was founded on October 1, 1949 with a ceremony at Tiananmen Square. The Central People's Government passed the Resolution on the National Day of the People's Republic of China on December 2, 1949 and declared that October 1 is the National Day.

The National Day is the start of one of the 'Golden Weeks' in China. However, there have been some recent controversies over whether 'Golden Weeks' should be kept.

The National Day is celebrated throughout Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau with a variety of government-organised festivities, including fireworks and concerts. Public places, such as Tiananmen Square in Beijing, are decorated in a festive theme. Portraits of revered leaders, such as Chairman-Mao, are publicly displayed.

When the anniversary is a multiple of five (e.g. the 50th, 55th, or 60th), large scale official celebrations may be held, including an inspection of troops on Tiananmen Square. More notable of these events included Deng Xiaoping's inspection in 1984 and Jiang Zemin's inspection in 1999.

To celebrate the National Day, most of Chinese companies or government organs have a week-long holiday in China, normally starting from Oct1st to Oct7th. Try not to meet your business partners during this period in China.

I'm also interested in the stories regarding other National Days worldwide, please tell us yours in your country, everybody!
What is your National Day ? How to celebrate it?

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Replying to [James 007]:

Hi James, glad to see your you here! You are right. It will take a very long time to visit the whole tours in China. The two main factors for us, most of the Chinese, to make the travel is money and time. I expect someday when I have amounted money and time, I will travel to the places where I want to go!

My hometown is Henan province and I am working in Dongguan, Guangdong province now.

Replying to [Yvonne ]:

Tell us about the National Day Celebration in Guangdong. Is it different from Henan?


Many countries showcase their military hardware during their National Day in the parades.

Is there any parade in China on the National Day?


Dick

Yvonne,

Your old home town is many km away from the place of work.
How did you adjust to the cultural shock of the different dialects from Henan to Cantonese? Did you learn to speak the local dialect?

Apart from the weather, from snowy winter to warmer South, please tell us how you manage. You may have saved much money on winter clothes and electrical bills on home heating. There is more rain in Guangdong than Henan, and warm Summer makes you sweat and seek for shelter under air conditioned room.

What about the food. What food did you miss from back home where you cannot find in Guangdong? The Cantonese cooking must have is soup for every meal, and octopus in the soup, or chicken bones to make it sweet. No MSG, less salt and spices.

I understand the adventurous spirit of working in foreign lands, and it is good to do it when we are young and energetic.

James

Replying to [Dick Moby]

Hello,Richard. Both Guangdong and Henan are parts of China, so we usually have the same way to celebrate the National Days, taking the " Gold Week" holidays.

Regarding to the parade you mention, I just know that it is held per five years in Beijing Tian'anmen Square on the National Day.

Replying to [James 007]:

James,

Yes, my hometown is far away from my current working place,Donguan city,Guangdong province. It takes about 20 hours to go home by train. You may can't image this, but it is quite common for most of the Chinese who work out of hometown.

I have been working in Dongguan more than 3years. At the beginning of the first year, I can't get with anything here, the feeling of aparting from parents and friends, the accommodation, and grand stranger to me.I always wept when I am alone. It was lucky that this situation only lasted for one months. I got my first job in a Germany invested company and people here were very friendly, even the managing directors( one is a foreigner from France,the other one is Chinese) and department manager were good to me. As in a foreign company, English is the key language I didn't force myself to know the local dialect. Even now, I can speak limited local dialect. English and Mandarin are the communication languages during the work, cantonese, the loca dialect is just a selected one.

The weather is not quite a problem. The weather in South is quite warmer than my hometown,the North. Usually, a T-shirt can cover about 8 months in Guangdong, so even in winter, we just need some warm-keeping clothes. Yes, some money saved from heating devices but a big problem for the skin problem. The sunshine make me "blacker and blacker", the industry-pollution is another headache issue.

The food here is very fresh. You know that,all the dishes are with less salt and spice. Taste like water. Though there are many restaurants here named themself as " hometown favor". But just same dish,different taste.

I once took my job as an offical in hometown goverment. Apart from the little salary, there was little, little work to do. I was almost free every day. After resigning the offical job, I left my hometown and got my job here. Frankly, I love the busy working style which make me feel substantial, the only problem is I am far away from my hometown. It is not easy to go home frequently, once or twice per year! As you say, it is good to do it when we are young and energetic. Thank you for your spirit support and encourage, James!

James, you may don't know that, I choose your picture with the Mcdonald background on member spotlight as the favourite image in my folder. As your smile is attractive and uncle-like. I hope you won't be angry with this because of no promise from you.

Replying to [Dick Moby]:

Hello Dick Moby,

I find a serect here. Your name is Richard Ong and James 007's name is James Ong. The same family name--Ong. Are you brothers?

Replying to [Yvonne ]
The surname Ong is common in this island. Our previous President was Your Excellency, Ong Teng Cheong who passed away last year.

His Ong is 3 strokes Ong, like a king. Different dialects pronounce their Chinese name differently, and therefore there is mix up. That was before the Hanyu Pinyin. JO is my old man, and we are in the family.

Sorry for this deviation, we should talk about our National Day one by one.

Wish you all the best in your job, it is very good prospects to work for a German firm, you will have a chance to go to Germany. Boss has been there many times, and travelled all over the country on business.

Dick

Replying to [Dick Moby]:

Thank you for your further explanation, Richard. Though I don't quite understand it due to knowledge lack. I know a little about your previous Present Ong Teng Cheong. It is Wang Dingcheng in Hanyu Pinyin.

I should say sorry to Mr Justin Yuan, as our discuss is not in the range of the topic he posted.

Thank you for your warm wishes to me on my job. But it was a pity that I had to leave the German firm because it was purchased by another famous company and then moved to Philippine years ago. I always remember the happy days which I stayed in that company.