Major tourist site in Olympic host Beijing welcomed 300,000 tourists on Monday, the first day of the weeklong National Day holiday, according to the capital's holiday office.
Due to a drizzle in early morning on Monday, the capital's influx of tourists slightly dropped compared with the same day last year, the office said.
The average rental rate of the city's luxury restaurants and other hotels stood at about 60 percent on Monday.
About one million pots of flowers were used in major parks to form 25 theme parterres featuring the Olympic Games and festive atmosphere, according to an official with the Beijing park administration center.
"The decorations are a rehearsal of the park appearance arrangement for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games," said the official. The event is scheduled to take place from Aug. 8 to 24 next year.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Beijing sees 300,000 tourists on 1st day of National Day
China marks National Day, Hong Kongers protest Tiananmen massacre
Hong Kongers protested the Chinese army's 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators at Beijing's Tiananmen Square, in a demonstration Monday marking China's National Day.
Workers in the nearby gambling enclave Macau rallied against illegal workers and corruption.
Meanwhile, China celebrated the occasion with a flag-raising ceremony at Tiananmen Square, as scores of onlookers snapped photos in a light rain as the national anthem played, TV footage in Hong Kong showed.
The square was decorated with 400,000 pots containing 130 different species of flowers, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
Tiananmen is the site of the bloody crackdown on student protesters on June 4, 1989, that killed hundreds, perhaps thousands.
In Hong Kong, radical lawmaker Leung Kwok-hung and seven others marched near the site of a government-sponsored China National Day reception. The protesters burned a photo of former Chinese Premier Li Peng to denounce his alleged role in ordering the Tiananmen crackdown.
Leung said he was blocked from entering the reception because he was wearing a T-shirt saying, "The People Will Not Forget."
He was allowed in after changing clothes and once inside chanted "End one-party rule," Leung said.
Police spokesman C. Cheung said the protest was peaceful and no arrests were made.
The Chinese government still views the 1989 uprising as a "counterrevolutionary riot."
In nearby Macau, hundreds of workers marked National Day by demonstrating to denounce the alleged increase of illegal workers and alleged government corruption.
About 900 people drove motorcycles or marched to the offices of Edmund Ho, Macau's leader, police spokeswoman Lou Sin Man said. She said the march was peaceful, although TV footage showed some police in riot gear holding shields as a precaution.
Organizers said in a statement issued before the march ordinary Macau workers have not benefited from the territory's economic boom amid the expansion of its casino scene in recent years. They accuse the government of not doing enough to crack down on illegal workers.
The scheduled demonstration comes after a rowdy Labor Day protest on May 1 involving more than 2,000 people.
Unlike Hong Kong, which has a healthy political opposition, Macau is controlled firmly by Beijing allies and rarely sees political unrest.
Ho said the territory "respects and attaches great importance to citizens' opinions and appeals expressed in a reasonable way," according to a statement on the government's Web site.
Macao hosts reception marking China's National Day
A cocktail party was held here on Monday afternoon to celebrate the 58th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China.
Edmund Ho Hau Wah, chief executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR), some 800 celebrities and representatives from all walks of life in Macao attended the event.
Ho told the gathering that promoting economic growth and improving people's livelihood are the two main goals of the MSAR government and the aspirations of all the residents in Macao.
The chief executive said the ground for improved livelihood is a growing economy.
The MSAR government thus would continue to boost the tourism industry and to support the advancement of the small and medium enterprises, he said.
Speaking on measures to enhance people's livelihood, Ho said the government will pay close attention to inflation, and will study and introduce measures to curb inflation.
Besides, said Ho, the government will introduce measures to support Macao's social workers, who are providing much-needed services to the underprivileged in a time of rapid economic development and social changes.
The government will also continue with administration reform, increase transparency and hail the rule of law and integrity of civil servants, he said.
On Monday morning, Ho and over 300 officials and luminaries attended the flag-hoisting ceremony held at the city's iconic Lotus Flower Square to mark the National Day.
China celebrates National Day
Beijing, Oct. 2 (PTI): Braving steady drizzle and tight security, over one lakh Chinese gathered at Tian'anmen Square here on Monday in central Beijing to watch national flag raising ceremony to mark 58th founding anniversary of the communist nation.
People began to flock into the square, decorated with 400,000 pots of flowers of varied colour, early morning for witnessing the impressive five-star red flag rising ceremony at 6:10 a.m accompanied by the national anthem.
"I feel so proud to witness the country is becoming more and more prosperous after going through so many hardships," 72-year-old Wang Nianshun, who came all the way to Beijing from eastern Shandong Province to witness the flag-raising ceremony.
Security was tight at Tian'anmen Square, where the Chinese army launched a bloody crackdown in June 1989 against pro-democracy activists and students who had staged a violent anti-government movement.
Police could be seen in strength at the world's largest square as authorities did not want any "mass incidents" in the heart of Beijing ahead of the 17th National Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) here from October 15.
China's Ministry of Public Security has already asked police to stand alert during the week-long National Day holiday to ensure social stability and people's safety.
More than 150 million people are expected to go on tour during the "Golden Week" holiday that started on Monday. In Beijing, local tourism authorities have predicted that about 1.7 million people will visit the Chinese capital during the period.
China's National Day celebrated worldwide
China's National Day celebrated worldwide
China National Day! - Overseas Chinese perform lion dance at a reception to celebrate the 58th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China at China's embassy in San Jose, capital of Costa Rica, Sept. 27, 2007. (Xinhua/Zheng Datong)
About China's National Day
Oct. 1 is China's National Day. It is the anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.
There used to be grand parades squares of major cities of the country. Now celebrations usually take the form of parties in amusement parks by day and fire-works and grand TV ensembles during the evening.
Many people will enjoy a week-long vacation since 1999. It is also a good occasion for many people to take a short excursion to enjoy the beauty of the golden Fall.
October 1, National Day of the People's Republic of China
"The People's Central Government of PRC is the only legal government to stand for all people of PRC. Our government is willing to establish diplomatic relationship with any foreign government that agrees to abide by the principles of equality, mutual benefit, mutual respect for territorial integrity..." -Chairman Mao Zedong from the Announcement of the People's Central Government of PRC The PRC's National Day was declared at three o'clock on October 1, 1949, in front of 300,000 people during a ceremony in Tian'anmen Squeare. Chairman Mao declared the founding of the People's Republic and waved the first five-star PRC flag.
In past times, the day was marked by large political gatherings and speeches, military parades, state banquets and the like. Since 2000, as China's economy developed, the national holiday lasts seven days and most workers are given time off to visit relatives and take time for traveling.
Traveling during National Holidays With a week off, many Chinese travel domestically and internationally. Travel fares double and triple and advance bookings must be made weeks, even months ahead for international travel. Hoards of tour groups flock to the major tourist destinations of China, so you can forget having a quite moment to ponder how the Great Wall was built.
If you can avoid it, it's advisable not to travel domestically during the week around October 1st. The latest statistics released publicly are from 2000 but according to these, 59.82 million people traveled during National Day holidays that year. Over two-thirds of all hotel beds were booked in major tourist destinations such as Beijing and Shanghai. However, if you are in China, you'll find the weather is usually very nice, and after October 1, almost everything from shops and restaurants to the post office will be open for business.