Will be traveling to Beijing on September 14th 2004 for 3 weeks in China and Tibet. What are the exact dates for the October holiday festival and will my wife and I have trouble finding a hotel in Beijing on the 14th thru the 19th?

The exact dates for the holiday are not usually announced until shortly beforehand, but to a three day holiday are added two days earned by working the preceding weekend, all spread over the first week of October. Since the 1st is a Friday, it's possible that the holiday might begin on the preceding Monday (Sept 27).

I can't quite see what mid-September has to do with it. The key to the holiday is October 1st, and it only lasts five working days and one weekend.

Peter N-H
http://members.shaw.ca/pnhpublic/China.html

You're right I was thinking October and writing September. Anyway we plan to be in Chengdu on October 1st and fly to Lhasa Tibet on the 2nd and stay there till the 6th when we will fly back to Beijing and then to Japan on the 7th. Shoold we have any trouble with these dates and will Tibet be somewhat shutdown?

Offices are shut down, but anything making money out of visitors is livelier than usual. In fact, sights, hotels, and transport are packed out. You may well find difficulty getting on a flight to Lhasa on October 2nd, and with accommodation in Chengdu and Lhasa.

Peter N-H
http://members.shaw.ca/pnhpublic/China.html

You should also realize that Oct 1st is not really appreciated or celebrated among the Tibetians. The Han transplants and government officials, yes; native Tibetians, no.

Thanks for the info. Is it possible to make these travel and hotel arrangements in Beijing when we get there in September, or will that be too late. Any suggestions on how to handle this?

You may be too late for air tickets by the time you arrive in China, but you can try booking the Chengdu to Lhasa leg on arrival in Beijing. If you are determined to fly on that date and no other (and it's never wise to have independent travel quite so rigid in China--it just doesn't work like that) you'd better book through a travel agent at home. There won't be any discounts at this time of year--in fact increasingly transport prices are temporarily raised.

As for accommodation, book ahead with a reliable Western or upmarket Asia brand of hotel and pay through the nose, or arrive and busk it with the Chinese hotels. There's always something available, but you may not like the price for the quality.

Peter N-H
http://members.shaw.ca/pnhpublic/China.html

WE are a bit more flexible. I can still rearrange the trip so that we are only in China until say Oct 2nd or 3rd. If that were the case, where in China would it be best to spend that period of the holiday. This might possible mean leaving Beijing till last which I would be ok with if it is advisible.