‘Golden Week’ justifies title with rise in tourism revenue

Tourists visit the Tian’anmen Square in Beijing, capital of China, October 1, 2012. China’s “Golden Week” holiday justified its title with a rise in tourism revenue, National Tourism Administration (NTA) statistics showed Sunday. The country’s 119 major scenic spots received a total of 34.25 million visitors during the eight-day holiday, up 20.96 percent from the corresponding period last year. Tourism income surged by nearly a quarter from 2011 to 1.77 billion yuan ($278.39 million), the NTA said. Photo: Xinhua

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Tourists visit the Jingshan Park in Beijing, capital of China, October 3, 2012. China’s “Golden Week” holiday justified its title with a rise in tourism revenue, National Tourism Administration (NTA) statistics showed Sunday. The country’s 119 major scenic spots received a total of 34.25 million visitors during the eight-day holiday, up 20.96 percent from the corresponding period last year. Tourism income surged by nearly a quarter from 2011 to 1.77 billion yuan ($278.39 million), the NTA said. Photo: Xinhua

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Tourists visit the Confucius Temple in Nanjing, capital of East China’s Jiangsu Province, October 1, 2012. China’s “Golden Week” holiday justified its title with a rise in tourism revenue, National Tourism Administration (NTA) statistics showed Sunday. The country’s 119 major scenic spots received a total of 34.25 million visitors during the eight-day holiday, up 20.96 percent from the corresponding period last year. Tourism income surged by nearly a quarter from 2011 to 1.77 billion yuan ($278.39 million), the NTA said. Photo: Xinhua

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Tourists visit the Bund area in Shanghai, East China, Sept. 30, 2012. China’s “Golden Week” holiday justified its title with a rise in tourism revenue, National Tourism Administration (NTA) statistics showed Sunday. The country’s 119 major scenic spots received a total of 34.25 million visitors during the eight-day holiday, up 20.96 percent from the corresponding period last year. Tourism income surged by nearly a quarter from 2011 to 1.77 billion yuan ($278.39 million), the NTA said. Photo: Xinhua

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Tourists visit Nanjing Road in Shanghai, East China, October 4, 2012. China’s “Golden Week” holiday justified its title with a rise in tourism revenue, National Tourism Administration (NTA) statistics showed Sunday. The country’s 119 major scenic spots received a total of 34.25 million visitors during the eight-day holiday, up 20.96 percent from the corresponding period last year. Tourism income surged by nearly a quarter from 2011 to 1.77 billion yuan ($278.39 million), the NTA said. Photo: Xinhua

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Tourists visit the Yueyaquan scenic zone in Dunhuang, Northwest China’s Gansu Province, October 4, 2012. China’s “Golden Week” holiday justified its title with a rise in tourism revenue, National Tourism Administration (NTA) statistics showed Sunday. The country’s 119 major scenic spots received a total of 34.25 million visitors during the eight-day holiday, up 20.96 percent from the corresponding period last year. Tourism income surged by nearly a quarter from 2011 to 1.77 billion yuan ($278.39 million), the NTA said. Photo: Xinhua

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Tourists visit an ecological scenic spot in Dongying, East China’s Shandong Province, October 6, 2012. China’s “Golden Week” holiday justified its title with a rise in tourism revenue, National Tourism Administration (NTA) statistics showed Sunday. The country’s 119 major scenic spots received a total of 34.25 million visitors during the eight-day holiday, up 20.96 percent from the corresponding period last year. Tourism income surged by nearly a quarter from 2011 to 1.77 billion yuan ($278.39 million), the NTA said. Photo: Xinhua

HONG KONG MID AUTUMN- FESTIVAL 2012

Among the many traditional Chinese festivals celebrated in Hong Kong, the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most colourful. For centuries, the Mid-Autumn Festival has been one of the most important Chinese festivals, a time when families get together to celebrate the abundance of a good harvest and to gaze at the full moon. Children play with lanterns of different shapes and colours adding a delightful ambience to the festivities. Traditionally, the festival is a three-day event, with people welcoming the full moon on the 14th day of the eighth moon and bidding farewell to the celestial orb on the 16th day. The 15th day is often marked by a family day at home and in recent years it has become customary to take young children to the nearest park after dinner and settle down on the ground to light small candles and nibble moon cakes.

Moon cakes are a traditional and indispensable part of the Mid-Autumn festivities and are available from bakeries, supermarkets and some restaurants from about the end of August. Friends and relatives give one another moon cakes as gifts to convey blessings and good fortune. Moon cakes date back to the Yuan dynasty when Han Chinese rebels passed secret messages to one another hidden in the cakes to prevent their plans for insurrection being discovered by their Mongolian rulers.

The celebrations also include colourful Chinese lanterns. Shops all over town sell coloured Chinese paper lanterns usually in the shape of animals, but more recently, in the shape of space ships and cartoon characters etc. There are also large thematic lantern displays in different areas of Hong Kong.

Coinciding with the Mid-Autumn Festival is the unique Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance – a spectacular ritual that is considered one of the most extraordinary events during this Festival. In 2011, the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance was inscribed on the third national list of ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ by the Ministry of Culture in China.

Information about Hong Kong’s Mid-Autumn Festival events is detailed below;

LEE KUM KEE LANTERN WONDERLAND

Venue – Soccer Pitch No.1, Victoria Park, Causeway Bay

Open from 27th September 2012 until 2nd October 2012 at the following times;

27th September, 8pm to 11pm
28th & 29th September, 6-30pm to 11pm
30th September & 1st October, 6-30pm to midnight
2nd October, 6-30pm to 11pm

The event, which attracted over 400,000 visitors last year, features a Giant Lantern, “Golden Moon”, with colourful LED lights and sound effects. The lantern’s design and construction is the result of a design competition organised by Hong Kong Tourism Board in conjunction with Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design, Hong Kong Designers Association and the Hong Kong Institute of Architects. Inspired by the lantern motif of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the “Golden Moon” alludes to “joy” in its Chinese name. The finished structure will measure 18 metres in height and 21 metres in diameter and will be installed above a water pool surrounded by dozens of floating Chinese lanterns. It is constructed with a steel frame, bamboo, stretch fabric, LED lights and suspended lanterns. A light-weight steel geodesic dome forms its primary structure. Using traditional bamboo scaffolding techniques, bamboo is bent around the geodesic dome to form the secondary structure. The sculpture is then clad with stretch fabric, each section of which is lit by animated LED lights in order to create different lighting effects.

With its alluring light-and-sound effects, the six-storey-high “Golden Moon” is an icon in Victoria Park this Mid-Autumn Festival

A pathway has been built through the pool so that spectators can walk inside the structure to appreciate its interior design. The inside is filled with suspended lanterns, which illuminate the scene with a constantly varying brightness, creating a cloud of animated light. The bright, warm glow emanating from the dome-shape structure relates to the passion between the Moon Goddess of Immortality Chang’e and her husband Houyi. When night falls, the LED lights will be switched on and flicker in rhythm with music.

Admission is free

In conjunction with the Lee Kum Kee Lantern Wonderland, there will be a Lantern Corridor, Mid-Autumn market and cultural performances in Victoria Park;

LANTERN CORRIDOR

The Lantern Corridor, located between Victoria Park Soccer Pitches 3&4 features a walkway illuminated by strings of decorative lanterns. Opening times;

27th, 28th & 29th September, 6-30pm to 11pm
30th September & 1st October, 6-30pm to midnight
2nd October, 6-30pm to 11pm

Admission is free

MID-AUTUMN MARKET

There will be about 20 booths selling festive foods, including mooncakes and local snacks, as well as offering handicraft workshops. The market, located on Victoria Park Soccer Pitches 5&6 is open at the following times;

27th, 28th & 29th September, 6-30pm to 11pm
30th September & 1st October, 6-30pm to midnight
2nd October, 6-30pm to 11pm

Admission is free

CULTURAL PERFORMANCES

Cultural performances, providing a showcase for the younger generation and local performing groups, will take place on Victoria Park Soccer Pitches 3&4 at the following times;

28th & 29th September, 8pm to 10pm

Admission is free

GETTING TO VICTORIA PARK: MTR to Causeway Bay Station, then take Exit E, turn left and follow Great George Street to the park, which is located opposite the end of the street, or MTR to Tin Hau Station, then take Exit A2, turn left and continue ahead until reaching the park.

FIRE DRAGON DANCE PERFORMANCES;

TAI HANG FIRE DRAGON DANCE

The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance has been performed for more than 100 years. Tai Hang, located in Causeway Bay, was originally a Hakka village. Legend has it that a plague broke out there in 1880s and to ward off the disease, the villagers planted joss sticks in a dragon made of grass. On the evenings of the 14th, 15th and 16th of the eighth lunar month, the villagers paraded the fire dragon through the village while letting off firecrackers. The plague ended soon after the event. From then on, the villagers have performed a three-day fire dragon dance every year to bless themselves. The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance was inscribed onto the third national list of intangible cultural heritage by the Chinese Ministry of Culture in 2011. Supported by nearly 300 performers, the fire dragon measures as long as 67 metres. Its head alone weighs 48kg. Its body is divided into 32 segments and uses up a total of 72,000 incense sticks during the three-day performance. After the performance, the dragon is delivered to the sea to symbolise the dragon returning to the sky after it has dispelled the plague in the village.

The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance which takes place along Tung Lo Wan Road, Lin Ka Fung Temple and surrounding streets of Tai Hang on;

29th September to 1st October, 7-30pm to 10pm*

* on 30th September the route of the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance is extended to Soccer Pitches 4&5 in Victoria Park from 10-45pm to 11-30pm to allow visitors to enjoy both the dance and the Lee Kum Kee Lantern Wonderland and other Mid-Autumn celebratory activities in the park.

GETTING TO TAI HANG: MTR to Tin Hau then take Exit A1

To facilitate the holding of the Fire Dragon Dance in Tai Hang, there will be road closures and traffic diversions in Tai Hang from 6pm to 11pm daily from 29th September to 1st October. Parking spaces in the area will be temporarily closed. Full details can be found on the Transport Department website;

http://www.td.gov.hk/filemanager/en/content_13/tdn-mid-autumn%202012%20eng.pdf

POK FU LAM FIRE DRAGON DANCE

The Pok Fu Lam Fire Dragon Dance takes place along Pok Fu Lam Road in Pok Fu Lam Village near Aberdeen on;

30th September, from 6-30pm to 11-30pm

Admission is free

GETTING TO POK FU LAM VILLAGE: Pok Fu Lam is not served by MTR. Several Citybus bus routes provide frequent services to the Pok Fu Lam Village bus stop on Pok Fu Lam Road, including 91 (from Central Ferry Piers), 40M (from Admiralty via Central), 30X (from Central Exchange Square), 37A & 37B (circular routes from Chi Fu Fa Yuen via Central/Admiralty), 71 (circular route from Wong Chuk Hang via Central) and 973 (from Tsim Sha Tsui).

For more information about the Pok Fu Lam Fire Dragon Dance see;

http://www.pokfulamvillage.org/dragon.html

OTHER LANTERN CARNIVALS AND ACTIVITIES;

URBAN MID-AUTUMN LANTERN CARNIVAL 2012;

Venue: Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, Soccer Pitches 2,3,4 and 6

*Carnival – 30th September, 8pm to 11pm

Lantern Display – 27th, 28th and 29th September, 6-30pm to 11pm, 30th September and 1st October, 6-30pm to midnight, 2nd October 6-30pm to 11pm

Admission free

NEW TERRITORIES MID-AUTUMN LANTERN CARNIVALS 2012;

Venue: Man Tung Road Park, Tung Chung

Lantern Display – 27th, 28th, 29th September, 1st and 2nd October, 6-30pm to 11pm. 30th September, 6-30pm to midnight

*Lantern Carnival – 28th September, 7-30pm to 10-30pm

Admission free

Venue: Tai Po Waterfront Park, Tai Po

Lantern Display – 27th, 28th, 29th September, 1st and 2nd October, 6-30pm to 11pm. 30th September, 6-30pm to midnight

*Lantern Carnival – 29th September, 7-30pm to 10-30pm

Admission free

* The Lantern Carnivals will feature performances and Chinese folk craft by Hunan Arts Troupe, handicraft demonstrations from Guangdong masters and other performances by local arts groups, traditional Chinese puppet shows and demonstrations by local puppet troupes.

THE TERRACOTTA WARRIORS OF THE QIN DYNASTY – MID-AUTUMN THEMATIC LANTERN EXHIBITIONS

Venue: Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, Tsim Sha Tsui

Date & time – 13th September to 21st October, 6-30pm to 11pm

Admission free

2012 MID-AUTUMN LANTERN DESIGN COMPETITION ENTRIES EXHIBITION

Venue: Exhibition Hall, 1/F, Low Block, Hong Kong City Hall, Edinburgh Place

Date & time – 27th September to 6th October, 10am to 7pm

Admission free

LIGHT IT UP – MINI LANTERN PARADE

The historic colonial Old Tai O Police Station, now renovated and reopened earlier this year as Tai O Heritage Hotel, is decorated with colourful traditional lanterns. Also, visitors can participate in the first-ever Stargazing and Moon Watching Fiesta in this ancient fishing village. The hotel is located on a wooded hillside overlooking the harbour entrance.

Venue: Tai O Heritage Hotel, Tai O, Lantau Island

Date & Time – 8th September to 2nd October, 6pm to 10pm

Admission free

In 2012, China’s Mid-Autumn Festival on September 29-30

When is the 2012 Chinese Moon Festival?

The date of Chinese Moon Festival (a.k.a. Mid-autumn Festival) is on the 15th moon day of 8th Chinese lunar month (Chicken month). The new moon day is the first day of a Chinese Lunar Month. Since the first day of 8th lunar month is 09-16-2012, the Moon Festival is on 09-30-2012 in China time zone. However, the Chinese Moon Festival is on 09-29-2012 in USA time zones, since the new moon day is on the date of 09-15-2012.

Time is the standard time, not the day-light saving time.

Chinese Moon Festival day is on 15th moon day, which is also the full moon day. In China, the full moon time is around at noon. The full moon time in USA time zones is at night. On the night of 09-29-2012 in USA, the Moon will be much fuller than the one in China. In fact, we cannot tell from the naked eyes. But If people in USA celebrate Chinese Moon Festival on 09-30-2012, then they will miss the full moon night.

The Moon Festival is a holiday in China. It’s an occasion for family reunion. Chinese families like to get together to eat the moon cakes and watch the moon at the Moon Festival night. For the people are out of town or for Chinese are from China stay in USA, they miss their family or the lover at home and share the same moon at the night of the Moon Festival before the Internet gets popular.

Why does 2012 Chinese Moon Festival arrive so late?

2011 Chinese Moon Festival day was on September 11, 2011. The 2012 Chinese Moon Festival day arrives on September 30, 2012. There are 19 days difference. The reason is 2012 has extra leap (Intercalary) lunar 4th month in June. That’s why 2012  Moon Festival arrives late.

Why does the Chinese eat moon cakes during Mid-Fall Festival?

Moon cake is a Chinese bakery product. Chinese exchange moon cakes as gift during the Moon Festival season. Many business Companies gift their valuable customers with boxes of moon cakes. Families will buy their favorite moon cakes for themselves. The Moon Festival Day is a national holiday in China and Taiwan. Every Chinese won’t miss moon cake during the holiday. That means more than 1.3 billion moon cakes will be eaten during the week of Moon Festival each year.

China’s tourism industry reaps golden harvest

Tourists visit the Confucius Temple in Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu Province, Oct. 1, 2012. China’s “Golden Week” holiday justified its title with a rise in tourism revenue, National Tourism Administration (NTA) statistics showed Sunday. The country’s 119 major scenic spots received a total of 34.25 million visitors during the eight-day holiday, up 20.96 percent from the corresponding period last year. Tourism income surged by nearly a quarter from 2011 to 1.77 billion yuan (278.39 million U.S. dollars), the NTA said. (Xinhua/Wang Xin)
BEIJING, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) — China’s “Golden Week” holiday justified its title with a rise in tourism revenue, National Tourism Administration (NTA) statistics showed Sunday.

The country’s 119 major scenic spots received a total of 34.25 million visitors during the eight-day holiday, up 20.96 percent from the corresponding period last year. Tourism income surged by nearly a quarter from 2011 to 1.77 billion yuan (278.39 million U.S. dollars), the NTA said.

The administration said many scenic spots, including the Forbidden City, attracted record volumes of visitors during the longest-ever “Golden Week” bridging the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holiday.

On Tuesday, 186,000 people visited the Forbidden City, or the Palace Museum at the heart of Beijing — the largest single-day number of visitors ever.

But the holiday tour spree also gave rise to complaints among the public about unpleasantly crowded scenic spots and restaurants as well as traffic congestion.

On Wednesday, thousands of vehicles jammed two mountain roads winding to and out of the Lushan Mountain scenic area in eastern China.

The week witnessed a significant increase in the number of individual road travelers because of the government’s policy that exempts passenger cars from road tolls during the holiday.

The policy resulted in unprecedented traffic and caused heavy congestion on major expressways.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Transport, a record of 80.87 million people traveled by road each day during the holiday, adding the total volume to 647 million.

Meanwhile, the country’s trains carried 60.95 million passengers, up 9.4 percent year on year, while the number of airway travelers hit 7.61 million from Sept. 29 to Oct. 6.

Qingming 2012 – Chinese Tomb Sweeping Day

QingMing or Tomb Sweeping Day is a Chinese festival during which Chinese people to sweep and clean the tombs of their ancestors. Besides Tomb Sweeping Day, some countries call this festival as Qingming Festival, Ancestors Day, Pure Brightness Festival, Chinese Memorial Day, Cheng Beng and many others.

When is Qing Ming 2012?
Qingming 2012 falls on Wednesday, 4 April 2012

How to know when is Qing Ming Festival?
Qing Ming or Tomb Sweeping Day always falls on the 5th solar term – April 4 or April 5. In fact, Tomb Sweeping Day occurs on 104th day after the Chinese winter solstice or Dongzhi festival.

The Origin of Tomb Sweeping Day

The beginning of Tomb Sweeping Day was based on a sad story about a man whose name was Jie Zitui, a faithful servant of a Duke named Wen. Jie was so faithful that when his lord and him could hardly find any food, he prepared a meat soup made of his own thigh. His lord found out that Jie had sacrificed his own thigh for him, then he promised Jie that once he succeeded in becoming King, he would reward Jie for his loyalty.

Jie who didn’t want any reward resigned not long after his lord became a Duke and lived in a forest with his mother. The Duke looked for Jie, but he couldn’t find him so that he ordered his servants to burn the forest in order to force Jie out. Unfortunately, the fire didn’t only force Jie to get out of the forest but also killed him. Then, the remorseful Duke Wen ordered the villagers not to use fire and eat only cold food for three days to commemorate Jie’s death.

The Tradition of Tomb Sweeping Day
Previously, people celebrates Tomb Sweeping Day by eating cold food, but now the traditions develop into sweeping the ancestors’ tombs, offering food and drinks, and even presenting some expensive things like bag or gadgets on the tombs. Those things are meant to be received by the deceased ancestors in their realm.

The other traditions are done by farmers who put a willow branch in front of the doors or gates of their houses to wipe out the evil spirit. The last common thing done by people during the Tomb Sweeping Day is flying colorful kites. Usually, people also put small lanterns in the kites so that the kites will flicker on the sky.

Despite the seemingly sad history of Tomb Sweeping Day, Chinese generally welcome the celebration of the festival as it is also an occasion of family reunion. Qingming 2012 will be a popular festival in China, Hongkong, Taiwan, Macau, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Wish you the best in celebrating Qingming 2012.