The last week has been a busy and exciting one at Changqing Reserve. Everyone has been preparing for the ‘Golden Week’ holiday – from the Director to the girls who work in the hotel where I live. Similar to the night before Christmas, you can feel the festival atmosphere ready to burst forth.
Changqing workers (Hu Yao & Wang Yu Bin) dressed up in Red Army uniform and traditional Chinese dress for concert.Experiencing festivals in China is amazing and energising – and has made me all too aware of the lack of tradition and folk law that I have as a white Australian. While we celebrate, among other days, the Queen of England’s birthday (Queens Birthday), the labour union movement resulting in an 8 hour workday (Labour Day), and a famous horse race??!! (The Melbourne Cup) – China celebrates romantic events such as the drowning of a patriotic poet (Dragon Boat Festival), the fateful night when a beautiful young girl ascended to the moon (Mid-Autumn Festival) and a day in spring when families join together to attend to the graves of deceased relatives (Tomb Sweeping Day). These festivals are full of history, story telling, special festival foods, firecrackers and fireworks, concerts and a sense of community and family that is an experience hard convey in words.
