Enjoy the National-Day-holiday

Beijing Weekend Some of you may want to have a good rest at home. But for those who want to enjoy the holiday outdoors, we have a few tips. Check it out. Peach paradise The month-long Sixth Golden Autumn Picking and Sightseeing Festival began last Saturday in Beijing. Visitors are able to pick their own peaches from trees in the rural areas of Pinggu District during sightseeing trips. Some special peach-related celebrations will be held around National Day (October 1) in Pinggu, the "Home of the Peach." Pinggu is the largest peach-planting area in the world and has even rated mention in the Guinness Book of Records. During the festival visitors can tour peach gardens on the 20,000 hectares peach farm. Around 50 varieties of peach are ripe for harvest now. Since 1998, local farmers have held peach exhibition in downtown Wangfujing Street. A peach weighing 738 grams was sold on Tuesday for 1,088 yuan (US$132.7). Currently, over 30,000 rural households are engaged in peach production in Pinggu. The annual peach output stands at around 100 million kilograms. Pinggu peaches are sold in more than 20 provinces and municipalities nationwide, and are exported to Russia, Singapore, Thailand and beyond, bringing in an annual profit estimated at over US$5 million. The local government is encouraging foreign visitors and potential investors to go to the home of the peach to enjoy the vast harvest. Downtown trip on National Day Though no grand public celebration is planned for the 53rd National Day, downtown Beijing is set to be major draw as ever. This one will be different from the norm. Tian'anmen Square will be decorated with fresh flowers, trees, mini-buildings and green sculptures. Music fountains with illuminations will add to the festival feel. The square is considered the "heart" of the nation by its people and has many symbolic meanings. It is always a popular destination, especially during the seven-day national holiday. If you want to avoid jostling crowds of visitors but want to check out the decorations, go on September 28, 29 or October 8 or 9. An evening stroll along the main streets during the holiday is also a good choice, thanks to the well-designed illuminations, musical fountains and public parties held at Xidan Culture Square, the Oriental Plaza and Wangfujing Street. Parks in downtown are also dolled up for National Day. Flower exhibitions, book fares, travel promotions and other celebrations are held during the holiday. Day tripper From October 1 this year, China Youth Travel Service will organize expat groups to tour some special places around Beijing. The programme tries to help foreign visitors better understand Beijing and its new development in high-tech agriculture, economic zones, countryside area and historical relics sites. The first selected destinations are divided into three different tours . Dongyue Temple, Beijing Folk Custom Museum, Huangchenggen Relics Park and the Sun Park (Chaoyang Park) are in the first package. The trip is priced at 88 yuan (US$10.6), including the cost of travel on an air-conditioned bus, lunch, a guide service and entrance ticket to the three sites. The second tour targets Beijing Yizhuang Economic Zone and Liuminying Ecological Village, which showcase modern agricultural industry and a high-tech ecological farm. It is priced 110 yuan (US$13). The last is Beijing Police Museum, the building site of the light railway, Huangchenggen Relics Park and the CCTV Relay Tower. This trip is priced at 110 yuan (US$13). The expat tour service is offered by China Youth Travel Service in Beijing. For details, contact 6567-8478.

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