China expands school spring, autumn breaks

(ECNS) - China is expanding spring and autumn school breaks nationwide as local governments seek to boost domestic tourism and encourage more family travel, according to media reports.

Fujian Province recently became the latest region to introduce spring and autumn breaks for primary and middle school students. The policy was outlined in guidelines jointly issued by 14 provincial departments. The breaks, typically lasting two to four days each semester, will be arranged around existing public holidays or weekends.

With Fujian's move, 13 Chinese provinces have now adopted province-wide spring and autumn break systems.

Several other cities and regions, including parts of Gansu, Guangdong, Shaanxi and Xinjiang, have also introduced similar policies.

The breaks are often scheduled around the Qingming Festival or May Day holiday periods, creating longer vacation periods that can help stimulate tourism demand.

Travel platform Tuniu said more than 40% of its users this year chose to travel before the May Day peak period, while family trips accounted for more than half of travelers.

The expansion has also renewed discussion about aligning children's vacations with parents' paid leave schedules.

At a press conference, the National Development and Reform Commission Vice Chairman Wang Changlin said authorities would encourage more regions to explore spring and autumn school breaks while improving coordination with paid annual leave policies.

Since March, at least seven provinces, including Yunnan, Zhejiang and Shaanxi, have introduced measures to promote flexible paid leave and staggered vacations.

(By Zhang Jiahao)