Labour day is a well known holiday in the West to celebrate the working class. It is usually held on May 1st every year. In China, though, this holiday lasts for three whole days instead of just one day, which turns it into yet another long weekend break for the Chinese.
Based on the Western Labour Day holiday, which originated in Europe during 1891, Labour Day or “五一” (Wǔ Yī) was designated as a public holiday in China in 1949. From year 1999 to 2008 it was even a 7-day public holiday known as the third Golden Week in China. However, it was reduced to 3 days in 2008 to make way for other traditional festivals like Qingming or Dragon Boat Festival.
Although Labour Day is no longer classified as a Golden Week in China, it remains a peak travel period for Chinese. According to China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism around 150 million Chinese are traveling during those days.
