Ready. Set. Holiday: China’s golden week travellers head for wide open spaces

After months stuck at home to stop the spread of the coronavirus, many people are keen to get out to explore the country’s northwest

But some schools have urged parents to stay put with their children

Reading Time:3 minutes

Tourists ride camels in the Crescent Spring and Mingsha Sand Dune scenic area in Dunhuang, northwest China’s Gansu province, last year. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 3:00pm, 26 Sep 2020Updated: 11:07pm, 26 Sep 2020

China’s tourist sites are bracing for a travel spending spree next week as people break out of home for the holidays.

October 1 marks the start of the eight-day “golden week” break that this year not only includes National Day but also the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Thursday.

Authorities have reminded holidaymakers to be vigilant against the coronavirus but more than 600 million trips are still expected to be made throughout China, down from the 782 million trips made last year, according to travel agency Trip.com.

“The desire has been pent up for nine months, and is likely to erupt in these eight days,” a company spokesman said.

The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said on Tuesday that the public could travel within the country given that most of China is classified as low risk – mainland China has not reported any locally transmitted Covid-19 cases for more than a month.

But health authorities have warned people to avoid any unnecessary international trips with the pandemic still spreading around the world.

They also reminded holidaymakers to follow coronavirus prevention protocols – wear masks, wash hands, avoid crowds and maintain social distancing.

And from Wednesday, mainland residents can add Macau – which has not had a coronavirus case in more than a month – to their itineraries, according to the National Immigration Administration.

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