Last year’s week-long October holiday was arguably its most chaotic Golden Week holiday to date. Thousands were left stranded in national parks, five tons of garbage was left in Tiananmen Square and, in some instances, armed police were dispatched to quell packs of riotous tourists.

So why does China use this holiday system and how can travelers get a better look at the country without being mobbed?

You’d be hard-pressed to find a laowai who’s traveled more of China than Tom Carter. Over two years, he traveled more than 35,000 miles across the country, hitting every province and municipality on less than $7 a day. The journey culminated in his book of photography China: Portrait of a People, where he depicted the lives of all 56 Chinese ethnic groups.

In today’s podcast we discuss Chinese holidays and talk about how to travel the Middle Kingdom in the most rewarding way.

Have a question you’d like to hear discussed in a future episode? Record a brief Mp3 and send it to chinahangup@gmail.com.

Click here for the stand alone Mp3.

Click here for past episodes.

Click here to subscribe on iTunes.

Click here for RSS.

Click here to like us on Facebook.

Links:

Lost Laowai – Foreigners Allowed! – Hotel Registration Tutorial
Erika Warmbrunn – Where the Pavement Ends: One Woman’s Bicycle Trip Through Mongolia, China & Vietnam
Tom Carter – Unsavory Elements: Stories of Foreigners on the Loose in China
Eric – Video: Biking through China’s Countryside