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Advisor: Too many holidays not advisable

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-03-11 15:55

Wu Jinglian, a famous economist and a political advisor, is surrounded by reporters at the ongong NPC and CPPCC session in Beijing March 4, 2007. [Xinhua]

With a vast majority of Chinese upholding more public holidays, Wu Jinglian, a famous economist and a political advisor, said that China is still a developing country and should not have too many holidays.

"As a member of the public, I also hope there are more holidays, but too many holidays are not good in light of the entire nation," Wu, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks on the sidelines of the ongoing annual CPPCC session.

Wu said China has enough holidays at present and more researches should focus on whether more holidays are conducive to raising consumption.

A number of political advisors have proposed that more traditional Chinese festivals, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and Tomb Sweeping Day, on which people pay respect to ancestors, should be made public holidays in a bid to raise people's awareness of traditions.

At present, China has three week-long holidays each year - the International Labor's Day holiday, the National Day holiday and the Spring Festival holiday. The last is the only holiday that ties in with China's traditional customs.

Many festivals, considered important days on China's lunar calendar, such as Lunar New Year's Eve and Mid-Autumn Day, are not public holidays, and relevant folk customs are not well observed, especially in cities, as people have to work.

A survey on Sina.com revealed that over 98 percent of netizens expected Lunar New Year's Eve to become an official public holiday.