NPR: Getting Ready For May Day

Getting Ready For May Day

by Melissa Block

Here in Chengdu, they're getting ready for May Day. The May 1st holiday used to mean a week's vacation - a "Golden Week" - but the Chinese government shortened the holiday a couple of years ago to try to eliminate travel chaos. This year, since May 1st falls on a Friday, it's really just a long weekend.

Check out the holiday floral display that was being put together when I went out for a morning walk today to Tianfu Square. Orange and yellow marigolds, yellow pansies, and pink and red begonias by the thousands - they'll all become part of a giant 5 1 for May 1st, right in the heart of Chengdu:

Chengdu Flowers

May 1 conveyed through flowers in Tianfu Square Melissa Block/NPR

Mao Statue

The enormous statue of Chairman Mao in Tianfu Square, in the heart of Chengdu. Melissa Block/NPR

There's a lot of planting going on in the cities here - you'll see huge teams of workers in orange vests prettifying medians and parks and squares. These workers today were working just across the street from the gigantic statue of Chairman Mao which towers over the heart of Chengdu.

A few days ago, Mao was covered with green scaffolding, getting some pre-holiday sprucing up. I guess his microdermabrasion is complete; the scaffolding is gone and he's ready to greet the crowds for May Day this coming Friday.

12:10 AM ET | 04-27-2009 | permalink

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About 'Chengdu Diary'

We first launched this blog in the spring of 2008, when a team from NPR's All Things Considered headed to Chengdu, China, the capital of Sichuan Province, to prepare for a week of special programming on China. On May 12, 2008, the staff found themselves in the middle of an unexpected story when a massive earthquake struck southwestern China.

The 2008 entries on this blog offer a day-by-day chronicle of the team's experiences before and after the quake. The 2009 entries document a return visit to Chengdu and to the parts of Sichuan Province most affected by the disaster.

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