Agoda.com Offers Last-Minute Deals for Qingming Festival

March 23, 2011 - PRLog -- Agoda.com, Asia's global hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline.com , today announced last-minute hotel specials for Hong Kong, Taipei, Macau and Beijing, just in time for Qingming Festival.

A Chinese tradition stretching back more than 2000 years, Qingming is held to venerate departed ancestors. A national holiday in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and Mainland China, Qingming (pronounced ching ming) is when families visit their ancestors' graves to pay respect, tidy gravesites and make offerings of flowers, food and spirit money. For this reason it is also known as 'Tomb-Sweeping Day'.

This year, Qingming falls on April 5. The festival occurs 15 days after the spring equinox and coincides with the coming of warmer weather. The name 'qing ming' – clear and bright – refers to sunny spring days, with the festival's customs closely tied to the warmer weather. After visiting ancestors' tombs, people often go on countryside walks, plant trees or fly kites. One older Chinese tradition is to serve only cold, uncooked dishes on Qingming day, earning it the additional name 'Cold Food Day'.

Visitors to Beijing during Qingming can visit Yuan Ming Yuan Gardens – the 'Gardens of Perfection and Light'. Here, amid eighteenth-century relics of the summer palace, craftsmen set up stalls and kite-flyers show off their skills.

In Macau, an animated version of the twelfth-century scroll painting, Along the River During the Qingming Festival, is on display until April 14 at the Macau Dome. The scroll depicts life in China during the twelfth century and is one of China's most important artworks. The multimedia installation was a main draw of the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

Whether traveling to meet up with family or visiting the region on vacation, Agoda.com offers travelers great savings on hotels for Qingming Festival. All bookings earn Rewards points that are worth 4-7% the price of the booking and can be used to reduce the cost of future hotel stays.

Agoda.com Qingming Festival Hotel Deals

Beijing

China World Hotel – 5 stars
Rates from USD 231 per night. Book now to enjoy 15% discount.
http://www.agoda.com/asia/china/beijing/china_world_hotel...
   
Swissotel Beijing Hong Kong Macau Center – 5 stars
Rates from USD 86 per night. Minimum stay 2 nights. Enjoy 15% discount.
http://www.agoda.com/asia/china/beijing/swissotel_beijing...

Redwall Hotel – 4 stars
Room rate from USD 41 per night. Minimum stay 2 nights. Enjoy 15% discount.
http://www.agoda.com/asia/china/beijing/redwall_hotel.html

Radegast Lake View Hotel – 5 stars
Rooms from USD 97 per night. Minimum stay 3 nights. Enjoy 15% discount.
http://www.agoda.com/asia/china/beijing/radegast_lake_view_hotel.html

Taipei

Howard Plaza Hotel – 5 stars
Standard double rooms from USD 137 per night. Enjoy 20% discount.
http://www.agoda.com/asia/taiwan/taipei/howard_plaza_hotel.html


Sunworld Dynasty Hotel – 4 stars
Superior twin room from USD 109 per night. Stay 4 or more nights and enjoy 25% discount.
http://www.agoda.com/asia/taiwan/taipei/sunworld_dynasty_hotel.html

San Want Hotel – 5 stars
Economy single room from USD 116 per night. Free breakfast. Limited rooms left at this rate!
http://www.agoda.com/asia/taiwan/taipei/san_want_hotel.html

Hong Kong

City Garden Hotel – 4 stars
Deluxe room from USD 89 per night. Book now and enjoy 15% discount.
http://www.agoda.com/asia/hong_kong/hong_kong/city_garden_hotel.html
Rosedale on the Park Hotel – 4 stars
Superior room from USD 113 per night. Book now to receive 25% discount.
http://www.agoda.com/asia/hong_kong/hong_kong/rosedale_on_the_park_hotel.html
The Royal Pacific Hotel and Towers – 4 stars
Standard room from USD 125 per night. Rate includes 25% discount.
http://www.agoda.com/asia/hong_kong/hong_kong/the_royal_pacific_hotel_and_towers.html
Macau

The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel – 5 stars
Royale Suite from USD 196 per night. Book now to receive 10% discount. Limited rooms left!
http://www.agoda.com/asia/macau/macau/the_venetian_macao_resort_hotel.html

Waldo Hotel – 4 stars
Deluxe room from USD 102 per night. Free breakfast. Book now to enjoy 10% discount.
http://www.agoda.com/asia/macau/macau/waldo_hotel.html

Hotel Lan Kwai Fong Macau – 3 stars
Deluxe room from USD 95 per night. Rate includes 10% discount.
http://www.agoda.com/asia/macau/macau/hotel_lan_kwai_fong_macau.html




About Agoda Company Pte Ltd:
Agoda Company Pte Ltd (www.agoda.com) is a leading Asia-based, online hotel reservations company, which specializes in securing the lowest discount hotel prices. Agoda.com is part of Priceline.com . Agoda's network includes more than 160,000 hotels worldwide. The multinational staff of more than 600 professionals, located throughout the world, provides a first-rate reservation service that uniquely combines local knowledge and local connections to provide the best hotel deals to both business and leisure travelers.

In addition, Agoda customers participate in the Agoda Rewards Program, earning further discounts and free stays. Unlike programs that limit travelers to a single chain, the Agoda Rewards Program allows customers to redeem Rewards Points at thousands of hotels around the globe, at any time. A member of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Agoda's aim is to promote travel by making it more affordable and more accessible to more people.