National holiday scheme to be adjusted

Planners have announced a new public holiday schedule to replace China's three seven-day holidays, Economic Observer reported (in Chinese). Under the new scheme, the two "golden week" holidays for Chinese New Year and National Day will remain, though Chinese New Year will begin on the eve rather than the first day of the new year on the lunar calendar, announced the State Council and the National Development and Reform Commission. New Year's Day, Labor Day and three other traditional festivals – Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival – will each become one-day public holidays. The current schedule of three week-long breaks around Chinese New Year, Labor Day and National Day has been used since 1999, when it was first imposed to encourage travel and spending in the economy. However, retail-spending spikes were accompanied by strained transportation systems and environmental damage, prompting the government to reconsider the annual holiday schedule.