Today is Labor Day in China (as it is also celebrated in many other countries around the world - What's up with the US having Labor Day in September?). Labor Day in China has become one of the so-called "Golden Weeks"* in China. The holiday has grown from (1) paid day off to (3) paid days off in the early 1990's and now has become a full week off for most people in China. Most working people in China worked over the last weekend and then put those days together with today's holiday and next weekend to give them a full week off. During the "Golden Week" thousands of chinese workers (usually living far from home) travel back to visit with loved ones.
This holiday is also especially busy as it falls directly after the spring China Import and Export Fair held every year in Guangzhou, China (the last two weeks in April). As you can imagine, adoption travel is fairly difficult during these three weeks and highly discouraged - especially during the last two weeks of April since all Americans must go through Guangzhou to complete their adoption paperwork before leaving China with their children.
Happy Labor Day!
*Updated: I thought I should explain that there are (3) "Golden Weeks" in the Chinese year. The first is during the New Year celebration or "Spring Festival", the second is in celebration of Labor Day and the third is to commemorate "National Day" starting the first of October.
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