It’s going to be the May Day holiday from this weekend to next Wednesday here in China. 

May 1st is Labor’s Day in China. 劳动节(láodòngjié) Labor’s Day. And because it is on 五月(wǔyuè)一(yī)日(rì) May the first. We also call this holiday May Day holiday 五一(wǔyī)假期(jiàqī). 

China is reopened now and the weather is getting warmer this time of year. A lot of Chinese people will go for traveling in this holiday. 

五一(wǔyī)假期(jiàqī)你(nǐ)要(yào)去(qù)哪里(nǎlǐ)旅游(lǚyóu)?

Where would you like to go for traveling in this May Day holiday?

This might be the most common question I heard these days. It is said the Chinese tourism industry is going to be back to 2019 level. It is hard to get a train ticket to the popular torist cities now in China. I can imagine it is also very hard now to book a hotel for the holiday.

To book in Chinese we use the word 订(dìng).

订(dìng)飞机票(fēijipiào) book an airline ticket

订(dìng)火车票(huǒchēpiào) book a train ticket

订(dìng)酒店(jiǔdiàn) book hotel

五一(wǔyī)假期(jiàqī)很(hěn)难(nán)订(dìng)到(dào)火车票(huǒchēpiào)。

It’s hard to book a train ticket during the May Day holiday.

Usually in China, highways 高速公路(gāosùgōnglù) will collect tolls. But in order to promote the tourism industry, all of the highways in China are free of charge 免费(miǎnfèi) during national holidays starting from 2012. So a lot of people will also choose to have a road trip during this coming May day holiday. 

Road trip in Chinese is 自驾游(zìjiàyóu)

自(zì) from 自己(zìjǐ) oneself

驾(jià) from 驾驶(jiàshǐ) to drive

游(yóu) from 旅游(lǚyóu) to travel

自驾游(zìjiàyóu)

五一(wǔyī)假期(jiàqī)高速公路(gāosùgōnglù)免费(miǎnfèi)，我们(wǒmen)打算(dǎsuàn)去(qù)山东(shāndōng)自驾游(zìjiàyóu)。

We are planning to have a road trip to Shandong provice during the May Day holiday as the highways are free of charge.

去(qù)青岛(qīngdǎo)喝(hē)啤酒(píjiǔ)，去(qù)淄博(zībó)吃(chī)烧烤(shāokǎo)。

Going to Qingdao city for beers and going to Zibo city for BBQs.

青岛(qīngdǎo) is a city near the sea in Shandong provice which is famous for the beautiful views and nice beer. I think everybody in China knows 青岛啤酒(qīngdǎo píjiǔ).

淄博(zībó) is another city in Shandong provice which recently went viral through 抖音(dǒuyīn), the Chinese version Tiktok, for it’s food, especially BBQ.

But actually I’ll stay at home for the holiday because I don’t like the crowds at the tourist spots. There is a very useful word for the crowds: 人山人海(rénshānrénhǎi).

人(rén) people, human

山(shān) mountain

海(hǎi) sea, ocean

人山人海(rénshānrénhǎi) huge crowds of people like the mountain and sea. 

Stay at home for a good rest will also be very nice holiday experice, isn’t it?

What about you? Do you have holidays during May? What will you do for the holiday?