In 2023, the memory of strict Covid travel restrictions was still fresh, especially at the beginning of the year. But as time passed, people in China (myself among them) were more encouraged (and more inclined) to go out and move around (and spend money).
Siqi and I went on two big trips in 2023: one to his hometown, and another one to my hometown, where we got married! 🙂
See below for an illustrated overview of where I went in Hangzhou, other parts of China, and the US.
Local sights in Hangzhou
I arrived in China at the end of 2022, when the country was still mostly closed due to Covid-related restrictions. In 2023, the country slowly started coming back to life, and I slowly settled into my new job and new apartment.
In the first part of the year, I didn’t go on any overnight trips, I just visited some tourist places in and around Hangzhou.
I had hot tea outdoors with colleagues to celebrate Spring Festival (Chinese New Year).
I went with Siqi and his parents to Hangzhou’s most famous tourist site during Spring Festival.
Shaoxing Orchid Pavilion (Lan Ting)
I went with Siqi and his parents to a nearby historic site celebrating the Orchid Pavilion Gathering.
Xianghu (Xiang Lake) and Yuewangcheng Relic
Went with Siqi and walked around this less famous lake in Hangzhou.
Siqi and I went to do some shopping in an underground outlet mall downtown, then went upstairs to look at the river.
Work training in Moganshan
The first place I stayed overnight outside Hangzhou was a conference hotel at the foot of the nearby mountain Moganshan, where I had work training (April 10-13).
Weekend getaway in Suzhou
My boyfriend Siqi and I went to Suzhou, Jiangsu Province (June 22-24) during the Dragon Boat Festival, a national holiday period. It was the first time we got to explore a new place together. We had a great time! Mostly we just walked around the old area in the city center. We found a great Italian restaurant!
Siqi’s hometown in Sichuan
Siqi and I went to visit his parents in Sichuan Province during the China National Day holiday period (September 30 to October 7). We flew to Chengdu and took the train back. We stayed in Qianwei, Leshan, Sichuan Province from September 30 to October 3 and in Chengdu, Sichuan Province from October 4 to 7. In Chengdu, we saw the pandas!
My hometown in the US
Siqi and I went to visit my parents in Atlanta, Georgia and got married! We were there from November 27 to December 5. Then we went on an overnight trip to Asheville, North Carolina with my parents and brother and sister-in-law December 5 to 6, then returned to Atlanta. Then, Siqi and I flew to New Orleans, Louisiana and I attended a conference (December 9 to 16). We passed back through Atlanta December 17 to 18 on our way back to China.
Back to Moganshan, briefly
Siqi and I went to Moganshan and stayed in a hotel on the mountain overnight during the New Year weekend (December 30-31). Saw a bit of snow!
Post Script: List of 2023 China holidays
Below are listed the days I had off from work for the traditional holidays in China. (Not every office follows this schedule.)
What is strange to me is how they move our weekends around. If I don’t want to go to work on the specified “weekend workdays”, I need to use annual leave (vacation days). It’s a nice idea in some ways; the goal is to create longer periods, especially around National Day, where people can travel a long way to see family… or visit tourist destinations and spend money (or both). Of course, when everyone is doing that at the same time, it can get pretty crowded. I’m glad I have paid vacation days that I can use at other times.
New Year’s Day
3 days of holiday from Saturday, December 31, 2022 to Monday, January 2, 2023. [That’s… a weekend plus one day of holiday. I’d call it a three-day weekend, or a three-day holiday weekend, not “three days of holiday,” which sounds like “three weekdays off.”]
Spring Festival
14 days off from Thursday, January 19 to Wednesday, February 1. [That’s 10 weekdays off! This was an extremely generous length of time, even given that Chinese New Year is the most important holiday of the year.]
Tomb-Sweeping Day (Qingming)
1-day holiday on Wednesday, April 5.
Labor Day
5 days of holiday from Saturday, April 29 to Wednesday, May 3. Work on April 23 (Sunday) and May 6 (Saturday). [So, three weekdays off, but then two weekend days as reclaimed as work days… so this is one day of holiday stretched into a five-day period.]
Dragon Boat Festival
Thursday, June 22 to Saturday, June 24 will be a 3-day holiday. Work on June 25 (Sunday). [Two weekdays off, but one weekend day claimed, so… one day of holiday. In the US, the holiday would just be moved to Monday and the weekend would be normal; either way it’s a three-day weekend.]
Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day
Friday, September 29 to Friday, October 6, 8 days off. Work on October 7 (Saturday) and October 8 (Sunday). [This is six weekdays off, and two weekend days are reclaimed as work days, so that makes four days of paid holiday in total, but they are rearranged so as to make an eight-day national travel period, sometimes called “Golden Week.”]
