China's National Day and Golden Week 2026 guide: October 1st history, the 7-day holiday's 1999 origin, 2026 travel trends, top destinations like Urumqi, and flag facts.
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Tomorrow is Chinese National Day (国庆节 Guóqìng Jié), the 77th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China.As one of the longest holidays during the year and the best season for travelling, 国庆节 is also known as "October Golden Week" (十一黄金周 Shíyī Huángjīn Zhōu) in China.In this post I will introduce something about Chinese National Day and Golden Week that you might not have known before!Why is October 1st the Chinese National Day?October 1st is the memorial day for the founding of the People's Republic of China. PRC was actually founded on September 21st in 1949. The grand ceremony held in Beijing on October 1st in 1949 was to celebrate the founding of the Central People's Government of the brand new country.On October 1st in 1949, Mao Zedong declared the founding of the People's Republic of China and its central governmentOn October 2nd in 1949, the new government passed the "Resolution on the National Day of the PRC" and declared that October 1st of each year shall be 国庆节. Ever since 1950, every October 1st has been grandly celebrated by Chinese people. In addition, a large-scale National Day Parade is usually held in Beijing to mark major anniversaries of the founding of the People's Republic of China, typically every tenth year. A mass parade is underway to mark the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China in central Beijing on October 1, 2019
The origin of "Golden Week"The name of October Golden Week - 十一黄金周 (Shíyī Huángjīn Zhōu) appeared much later than 国庆节. The first 黄金周 - 7 days' holiday - was actually in 1999. Chinese government tried to use this week to encourage tourism thus to boost domestic economy.In 1999, when the first 黄金周 (Golden Week) holiday was introduced, the number of travelers nationwide reached 28 million in 7 days, and tourism revenue amounted to ¥14.1 billion. Fast forward 20 years to 2019, and there were 782 million domestic tourists traveling during 黄金周, generating a staggering domestic tourism revenue of ¥649.71 billion.
In 2025, Chongqing, Chengdu and Shanghai were among the cities with the highest tourist reception during China's National Day & Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, according to data from the China Tourism Academy. Are you also going to be one of the millions of travelers exploring China this holiday?
The bustling tourism surge of Golden Week in China
China's 2026 Golden Week is expected to bring another major travel rush. This year, travelers are looking beyond the usual big-city destinations. Urumqi, Kunming, Harbin, Yining, Guiyang and Xining are among the most popular long-distance travel destinations, offering everything from autumn landscapes and mountain scenery to local food, ethnic cultures and historic streets. More travelers are choosing longer trips, road journeys and immersive local experiences — slowing down, exploring beyond the landmarks, and discovering a different side of China.
The Landscapes of Xinjiang
The Chinese National Flag - "The Five Starred Red Flag"
You can see numbers of the Chinese National Flag - "The Five Starred Red Flag - 五星红旗 (Wǔ Xīng Hóng Qí)" everywhere during the National Day Holiday. Do you know why was this pattern selected to be the National Flag?In this flag, red is the symbol of revolution and yellow represents thelight of revolution. The five stars and their relationships to each other represent the unity of Chinese people under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.五星红旗 is flown during a rock-and-roll festival to mark Chinese National Day on October 2, 2005, in Beijing, China
The designer of 五星红旗 is a normal financial worker in Shanghai called 曾联松 (Zēng Liánsōng). In July 1949, a call for Chinese National Flag design was issued. Out of 2992 submitted flag designs, Zeng's design was selected in the end.
Zeng and the first draft of the five-starred red flagAt the Founding Ceremony on October 1st, 1949, 毛泽东 (Máo Zédōng) pressed the button and raised the very first 五星红旗 in central Beijing.10 interesting facts about China1. One in every five people in the world is Chinese.2. China is the world's most populous country and the second-largest country by land area.3. One-third of the population of China can't speak mandarin.4. China is the largest consumer of red wine in the world.5. Fortune cookie is not really a Chinese custom. It was invented in USA.6. Toilet paper was invented in China in the late 1300s. It was for emperors only.7. Put all of China's railway lines together, it can loop around the earth two times!
One of the greatest achievements of China's infrastructure building of last 15 years8. Chopsticks were originally used for cooking instead of eating.9. Ice cream was invented in China about 4000 years ago. It combines rice, milk and snow.10. Ancient Chinese people created the world's first soccer ball made of leather. It was called "蹴鞠(cùjū)".That's all for today! Hope this post can help you know a bit more about China and make your stay here more enjoyable!All in all, enjoy this beautiful Golden Week! Happy Golden Week! 十一黄金周快乐! Shíyī Huángjīn Zhōu Kuàilè!(All the pictures are from the Internet)Last but not the least, if you are planning to travel during this Golden Week, here are some destinations you may consider👇If you're planning to avoid the crowds and enjoy a relaxing holiday at home, here are some recommended Chinese dramas and movies to keep you entertained while improving your Chinese skills! 👇
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