China’s weeklong celebration of its National Day, from October 1, is known as the “golden week” because it’s the Asian giant’s biggest week for travel, tourism and leisure spending. However, some Chinese who spoke to VOA Mandarin described this year’s National Day as a national day of mourning because of higher costs while the economy is struggling.

All those interviewed by VOA asked that their names not be used out of fear of retaliation from the Chinese government for their negative comments.

Despite returning from a holiday in Japan in September, a 37-year-old white-collar worker in Beijing chose to join the crowd of travelers during China’s National Day holiday for a seven-day vacation in South Korea.

“Usually the ticket is only 2,000 yuan [about $284], but now it has risen to almost 4,000 [about $568] during the National Day holiday. But I still decided to go out and have fun. Otherwise, what are you doing in Beijing? It’s so boring,” she told VOA.

The well-off urban dweller said, “I went to get a manicure today, and the lady said that all of her friends have lost their jobs. Now a lot of people don’t have money. The domestic economy is not good. We just don’t know how bad it is, and we can’t see the truth.”

She noticed that even though it is the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Beijing did not have many large-scale celebrations or a festive atmosphere, except for displays of national flags and flowerbeds.

The Beijing resident thought the main reason was that the economy is suffering. “Many people have lost their jobs, and if a grand National Day celebration were held, it would definitely be criticized. The government might not have the money to hold a celebration either,” she said.

China also usually holds more elaborate celebrations when it hits a new decade for its founding anniversary.

Not in ‘mood’ to celebrate

A man who lives in Shanghai and works in the publishing industry said he believed that in today’s China, national pride is becoming less and less marketable. He told VOA Mandarin, “It’s because the people’s personal [economic] lives are not good. And now there is a bit of a difficult situation at home and abroad, and people are not in the mood for celebrations.”

A middle-class translator who lives in Beijing told VOA Mandarin he and his friends thought that “the national fortune is very gray” because the economy is unpredictable.

“Who would want to invest? So, are your economic fundamentals getting better? Is your business environment improving? Is your international environment improving? I think these are some of the basic questions,” he said. “Not to mention the rule of law. So, we want it to get better, but you tell me, which aspect is getting better?”

Li Yang, vice minister of transport, said at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on September 27 that the cross-regional flow of people during this year’s National Day holiday would reach 1.94 billion, with an average 277 million people traveling per day, and 80% of the trips by private vehicles. This would be an average daily increase of 0.7% over the same period last year and an average daily increase of 19.4% over the same period in 2019.

The increase in travelers will give at least a temporary boost to domestic consumption, which China has been encouraging since the COVID-19 pandemic, especially as an overreliance on exports has fueled tariff retaliation from trade partners.

But while stimulus measures last week boosted China’s stock markets by the most since 2008, economists noted the fundamental reliance on exports has not changed and China’s property market — a pillar of its domestic economy — is still struggling.

‘Just a relative rebound’

Despite jumps in markets, and travel for the golden week holiday, the translator and the white-collar worker said these did not signal a return to prosperity.

“It’s not that your income is higher after three years of the pandemic, it’s that you had spent less during the pandemic,” said the translator. “It’s just a relative rebound.”

He continued, “Generally speaking, the National Day has become a national mourning,” adding that if there is another pandemic or major upheaval, many people will not be able to maintain their standard of living.

While China’s middle class lamented the country’s downturn, they noted the lives of people with limited skills are the most difficult.

Meanwhile, taxi drivers are taking advantage of the temporary increase in passengers for the National Day holiday to earn as much as they can.

The publisher told VOA he took a ride-hailing application taxi in Shanghai, and it was the driver’s first week. “He hadn’t gotten out of the car for a week and even slept in the car,” he said. “He slept in the car when he was tired and drove when he woke up.”

He said, “I asked the taxi driver today, ‘How do you plan for the National Day? How many days a week do you work?’ He said, ‘If there were eight days in a week, I would work eight days and not think about vacation travel at all.’ “

China’s Transport Ministry described passenger transport since the beginning of this year as “robust,” with nearly 44 billion passenger trips recorded during the first eight months, a 6% increase from the same period last year.