Holiday traffic renews calls for paid leave

"My husband and I were both free. He works at a law firm, and it is not easy for him to ask for paid leave," she explains.

Traffic jams are not the only result of the current holiday situation. Tourists converging on popular destinations all at once leads to safety risks and poor leisure experiences, says a China National Tourism Administration official.

Major attractions reported operating over capacity during the holidays, with some receiving twice as many tourists as they can officially accommodate.

A survey by online travel agency Ctrip earlier this year found 80 percent of tourists prefer off-peak travel. Officials and industry insiders generally agree that encouraging off-peak leave will not only increase spending on tourism but also ease congestion.

Easier said than done.

According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, paid leave is implemented mostly in government and public institutions, State-owned enterprises and foreign companies, while smaller and private companies tend not to offer it.

An estimated 80 percent of China's workforce is employed in the private sector.

Nearly half of those who don't take their full allocations of paid leave - or any at all - say it's because they fear "undermining career prospects by taking leave", suggests a report by the National Bureau of Statistics.

Chinese Academy of Governance professor Zhu Lijia says that although China has legislated to ensure paid leave, it is difficult to enforce the law.

"Some enterprises facing fierce competition cancel paid leave outright," Zhu says.

"On the other hand, employees usually waive the right for greater promotion prospects."

While the professor calls for better enforcement of the Labor Law, Meng simply wants more compassion from employers.

"They should take into consideration their employees' personal needs, allowing families to enjoy vacations together," she says.

"Who wants to be restricted to traveling at peak times and getting stuck in traffic?"