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What People Are Really Celebrating on National Day in China
Written by Robert Vance on October 1, 2008 – 12:05 pmToday is National Day in China. On this day, 59 years ago, Mao Zedong and the Communist Party of China founded the People’s Republic of China with a ceremony at Tiananmen Square. For most Chinese people, however, this day is not about Chairman Mao nor is it about the triumph of the Communist Party. Today is a day of rest in China; this national holiday is an opportunity to travel or to spend time with friends. While the day may be politically charged in Beijing and some other big cities, most Chinese people that I know are not so interested in looking back 60 years in Chinese history to celebrate the founding of the PRC. After all, there are simply too many painful memories that stand between October 1st, 1949 and October 1st, 2008: intense poverty, starvation, political upheaval and oppression, just to name a few. In the past 30 years, Chinese people have gradually come out of a long dark tunnel and only now are beginning to realistically hope for a much better future in a country that has been transformed economically and socially. October 1st, 1949 may have marked the founding of a brand new country but for most people in China, it was just the beginning of a long and difficult road that has been fraught with heartbreak and hardships.
Today is a day to celebrate in China. Not so much for its historical implications but rather for the immense progress and change that has taken place in this country since 1949. And, as I previously mentioned, today is a day to rest. After all, China’s amazing path of development has been made possible by the hard work of hundreds of millions of Chinese people who have never given up hope. Happy National Day from TeachAbroadChina.com.
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[...] Day in China is not all about Chairman Mao and his comrades — This week, China celebrated its 59th birthday but for many in China, October 1st is just another day. I write about what National Day means to [...]
Sorry to say this but you are a blithering idiot.
I have lived in Heilongjiang for the past eighteen years and don’t make this comment lightly.
@jon banquer,
What is it exactly that you don’t agree with? Instead of calling me names, why don’t you explain yourself instead of making a ‘hit and run’ comment like a coward.
I think he’s trying to say that you’re a naive moral crusader who doesn’t know the first details of the condemnations you like to express.
Go Captain America!
@Peter Easton,
Naturally, I expected you to leave a comment here. You never do shy away from the chance to criticize other people.
What exactly is so outrageous about suggesting that maybe the 1960s and early 70’s were not exactly great times for the Chinese people? Most people I know here condemn much of that time period as a big mistake. You don’t? Not that I care how you think about it. I am happy for the people here. These National Days are much happier than ones in the past.
I just see the it as a rather glib piece that doesn’t really say anything of any cosequence. Doesn’t even scratch the surface journalistically.
Sorry to be so honest.
@Peter Easton,
Really? Did you happen to look at the about page of this website and happen to see that I am not a journalist? What do you think this is? A newspaper? I’m a blogger so I could really care less whether not you think my little pieces on here meet journalistic standards.