【推荐1】China’s National Day holiday, otherwise known as National Day golden week, is an annual seven-day public holiday, the longest public holiday other than Chinese New Year, which typically falls around February.

Beijing is the biggest city to host celebrations, particularly at Tiananmen Square, which features a special flag-raising ceremony around sunrise. Other common nationwide activities include flag raisings, song and dance performances, and firework displays.

People typically like to travel domestically during the October holiday, with many visiting their hometown. During the holiday period, offices, embassies, factories and restaurants will likely close for at least a day or two—making it the perfect occasion to catch up with family and friends.

Falling in autumn, the weather during the holiday is generally pleasant and sunny, with a cool breeze and low humidity—creating perfect travel conditions. 

In 2019, as a Briton living in China, I faced the same dilemma local citizens did—with pretty much everyone in the country wanting to enjoy a week off work and wondering, “where can I go to enjoy myself without getting stuck in crowds?” I did plenty of research to find a hidden gem in China, somewhere I could avoid the flocks of tourists. It seems there were plenty of options, but I left it to the last moment and discovered flight and train tickets were all sold out, so I decided to just spend some time in the city I was living in: Shanghai. After my first National Day holiday as a foreigner in China, I learned what not to do over this period, that is, try to avoid traveling to popular destinations during the golden week.

Allow me to recall my trip to The Bund in 2017. I first took the metro to East Nanjing Road; I was floored as the queue for the security check was almost 100 people long. On my normal commute to work, I went straight through, scanning my bag in less than 10 seconds, so naturally, I was shocked. Once I finally reached the metro, the doors opened and people swarmed off in the hundreds, while just as many piled on. Once I exited the metro, what would normally be a 10-minute walk took around an hour, as I slowly walked down East Nanjing Road, shoulder to shoulder with other tourists all looking to catch a glimpse as the impressive Bund lit up at night.

Being from a small town in England, I had never before seen so many people gather in one space. I found it fascinating to hear all the different dialects, accents, and people seemingly unphased by so much noise and such a large crowd.

Once I finally reached the front of The Bund, I managed to squeeze through the selfie sticks and tour group flags to gaze in amazement at the buildings that appeared to touch the sky.

【推荐2】Unlike many other Europeans, the French are not noted for their eagerness to work long hours. The British are surprised by the French readiness to rest from work not only on Sunday but also on Monday afternoons. The Germans and the Swiss are less innocent but, nevertheless, are scornful(鄙夷的)of the fact that the whole of France appears to shut down for three weeks in August so that French citizens can rush to the cote d’Azur (a tourist attraction in France) and squeeze together on the narrow area of Mediterranean beach for vacation. Consequently, most of Northern Europe dismisses France as a lazy nation.

Annually, the 14^th of July marks the start of what the French call “the great escape.” July 14^th is Bastille Day, the celebration of a 1790 attempt to make French political prisoners free, which marked the beginning of modern France, and it was for this reason that, in 1880, Bastille Day was named a national holiday.

The center of the celebration is the Champs-Élysées(香榭丽舍大街)in Paris. An enormous tricolor French flag hangs from the Arc de Triomphe(凯旋门). The broad avenue itself is lined with flags of blue, white, and red. With great pomp(盛况), the President of France progresses along the Champs-Elysées, which is lined with police officers and applauding Parisians. He receives the greeting of the largest military parade in Europe. In the most modern of these displays of power, planes fly low over the cheering crowds.

Later, the president meets with the media and talks informally about what had been achieved in the previous year, how France stands presently, and how she will advance. Bastille Day ends with concerts and parties and, of course, a huge fireworks display centered on the Eiffel Tower. The streets are crowed and alive with people calling out to one another, gossiping, laughing, and partying in being French.

【推荐3】Teenagers can be hard to keep entertained during the summer, but parents will be pleased to know there are holiday parks across the UK with lots of teen activities.Here are the best holiday parks for teenagers：

Haven Hopton Holiday Park, Norfolk

Haven has tons of activities for teens from crazy golf to tennis lessons.There're indoor and outdoor pools, with slides to get the adrenaline（肾上腺素）pumping.The family amusements centre has video games and at The Marina Stage there's live entertainment

Park Dean Vauxhall Holiday Park, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

Teens won't be stuck looking for things to do at this fun﹣filled park from Park Dean Resorts.It has a multi﹣sports court and an amusement center.There are two pools with slides and even an ice cream station at one of the on﹣site restaurants.3﹣night stay at Vauxhall in July costs ￡199.

Away Resorts Mersea Island, Essex

Take teens for a break in Essex at Mersea Island where they can hang out at the Muddy Duck Clubhouse where there's live entertainment.The park has its own private beach, where you can try skiing, as well as a nature reserve to explore on foot or by bike.There's an indoor swimming pool.

Park Holidays Golden Sands, Dawlish, Devon

Teens will never be short of things to do at this park.There're no less than three swimming pools and two clubhouses to hang out at with free WiFi.The sandy beach is on your doorstep, and the park is known for its top class shows on most nights.3﹣night stay at Park Holidays Golden Sands in July costs ￡619.