Passengers wait to aboard at Zhengzhou Railway Station in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, Jan. 22, 2017. (Photo/Xinhua)
(ECNS) -- A deputy to the 12th National People's Congress, China's top legislature, has called for extending the current one-week holiday for Spring Festival, China's Lunar New Year, to 15 days. [Special coverage]
Lai Xiaomin, who is also chairman of China Huarong Asset Management, said seven days is not enough to celebrate the biggest festival of the year together with family because many have to take long journeys.
A short public holiday worsens alienation among family members, weakens social bonds and encroaches on traditional values, said Lai, adding that Spring Festival is rich in profound history and culture.
Lai also said the 15-day holiday, from the eve of Lunar New Year to Lantern Festival, which is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar year, can also boost domestic consumption and stimulate economic growth.
Retail sales and restaurant receipts in the world's second-largest economy totaled about 840 billion yuan ($122 billion) during the holiday period, a rise of 11.4 percent from the same time a year earlier.
Some 408 million passenger trips were made during this year's holiday, up 2.1 percent from the year previous, data from the Ministry of Transport (MOT) showed. As the world's largest human migration, the travel rush also poses great challenges to transportation and safety.
A previous survey by Xinhua found 95.45 percent of respondents hope for a longer Spring Festival holiday and 69.84 percent wish it could be 15 days, while 20.99 percent prefer 10 days.
