182,000 visitors and other China Golden Week records
A good test of the strength of the Great Wall of China. China Golden Week is when 1.3 billion people are given eight days off from work -- at the same time.
And what happens?
Monster gridlock, tourist overload and a continuous "ka-ching" of cash registers resounding across the country.
Here are some incredible stats that came out of China Golden Week, which started on September 30 and continues until October 7.
Day 1: The government decides that highways will go toll-free for Golden Week. Very generous. But the result is vehicular paralysis as 86 million people take to the roads, a 13 percent increase on last year.
Drivers are seen walking their dogs and playing tennis as they wait for the traffic to move.
See incredible images of China's gridlock here.
October 2: The Forbidden City in Beijing has its highest attendance day ever -- 182,000 visitors go to the historical imperial palace.
October 3: The number of travelers to 119 destinations in China in the first four days total 18.2 million people, an increase of 23 percent from last year's Golden Week.
October 4: The Mausoleum of Sun Yat-sen in Nanjing is visited by 215,000 people. This is 10 times the number of visitors on a regular busy day at the site.
The government decides to take measures to ease gridlock across China. Vehicles with fewer than seven seats can pass through toll gates without stopping.
After traveling around the world on a fistful of dollars, Zoe returns to Hong Kong, where she grew up, to discover and write about all the inspiring stuff that happens here on a daily basis.
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