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Beijing revises the holiday system to ease overcrowding

China has revised its national holiday system to ease overcrowding on railways, air routes and other transport links when much of the Chinese population is on the move at the same time each year.

The changes -- announced by the State Council late on Sunday -- bring back three traditional one-day holidays and introduce more choices for workers by allowing them to take some paid holidays outside the designated breaks.

The government had previously set three weeks each year as national holidays, when factories and offices shut and employees and their families took to the road.

Following the change, one of those weeks, the May Day holiday, will be broken up into three traditional one-day holidays -- tomb-sweeping day, dragon boat festival and mid-autumn festival -- which will be marked on separate occasions each year.

The May Day holiday will revert to a one-day holiday.

The change comes into effect next year and increases the total number of national holidays by one day to 11.

The current holiday system was created in 1999, but as China becomes more prosperous, people are traveling more and overwhelming transportation facilities.

Other major holidays include National Day, which celebrates the founding of the People's Republic of China on Oct. 1, New Year's Day and the Spring Festival, which marks the Lunar New Year when Chinese traditionally return to their home villages.

The Xinhua news agency said the government also announced that employees of government agencies, as well as state-run and private companies, will now be able to take paid vacations after one year of service.

Employees who have worked for less than 10 years will get five paid days off a year, while those who have worked between 10 and 19 years will get 10 days. Those who have worked for at least 20 years will get 15 days.
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