If you asked Chinese people what they are most looking forward to or excited about at the moment, I think most would reply: "The National Day Golden Week."
This sounds like a statement of the obvious. Who wouldn't look forward to staying away from work for seven days? But the upcoming National Day holiday does bear some added significance. It has been nine months since people had the last seven-day holiday - the Spring Festival - because the May Day Golden Week in between was cancelled. In addition, there is the danger of losing the National Day Golden Week.
Tsinghua University Professor Cai Jiming, head of the "Project Panel for the Reforming of Holidays", said recently that the National Day Golden Week should also be cancelled "if the conditions are ripe with regard to paid vacations". The panel is believed to be the mastermind behind the government's decision to shorten the seven-day May Day holiday to three days and add three more public holidays related to three other days on the Chinese lunar calendar.
Cai's words evoked a wave of public criticism. All the surveys conducted by China's major Internet portal websites indicated that more than 80 percent of netizens opposed the suggestion. They accused the professor of depriving them of the precious holidays while enjoying two long vacations himself every year.
Cai has defended his idea by blaming the Golden Weeks for causing overcrowding on public transport and at tourist venues. People's need for longer holidays, he said, can be met by popularizing the practice of paid vacations.
Professor Cai must have been to Western countries, or at least learned a lot about them, and envied them for their vacation system. I also admire the practice but I doubt it will be practiced in China without obstruction.
Now, so-called paid vacations in their true sense are seldom seen in China. Even though some companies and government organizations do have a paid vacation schedule, it is often ignored. Employees usually "voluntarily" give up the vacation because they find it difficult to get someone to fill in for them they are on holiday.
With the Golden Week system, however, Chinese employees are guaranteed three long vacations every year as they are compulsory by law. These days are a precious time for employees who work away from their hometowns because they can take the time to visit their kith and kin. In fact, most holidaymakers, the majority of whom are students and rural migrant workers, use the three Golden Weeks to visit their families and relatives.
Even for those who use the holidays for tourism, paid vacations are an inferior alternative. People usually hope to spend holidays with their loved ones; how can they ensure that they can succeed in asking for leave from their respective workplaces simultaneously?
The cancellation of the May Day week has deprived Chinese people of an important opportunity for a family reunions. It is understandable why people are so angry with the "experts" who have now selected the National Day week as their next target for "holiday reform".
The experts may claim that that they only called for the scrapping of these holidays "when the conditions are ripe with regard to paid vacations". However, ordinary people will ask them: "Were the conditions ripe when you cancelled the May Day Golden Week?"
新加坡:自动售货机可买豪车
国内英语资讯:No space for ambiguity in the nature of cross-Strait relations: spokesperson
国内英语资讯:Greek president congratulates China on Belt and Road forum
善于影响别人的人,都拥有这8个特点
为了挤兑苹果的Siri,谷歌推出自己的AI助手
香奈儿奢侈回旋镖惹怒澳大利亚土著,被指侮辱文化传统
外媒盘点十大复制景点 泰坦尼克二号居首
国内英语资讯:China stresses law enforcement on solid waste management
国际英语资讯:U.S.-Islamic summit in Riyadh ends, with new center for combatting extremism launched
甘肃省兰州九中2016-2017学年高二下学期期中考试英语试卷
国际英语资讯:Demonstrators urge Hungarian govt to comply with EU demands
国内英语资讯:Chinese presidents special envoy attends Timor-Leste presidential inauguration
体坛英语资讯:Copa Libertadores: Defending champions Atletico Nacional ousted
国际英语资讯:71 militants killed in Afghan forces fresh operations
腾讯签约环球音乐,成国内最大正版音乐平台
国内英语资讯:Intl bus-rail-sea freight route begins operation in Xinjiang
体坛英语资讯:Real Madrids Asensio included in Spain squad
国际英语资讯:Iranians vote for president in high turnout
研究发现 母乳竟然可以杀死癌细胞
国内英语资讯:State councilor meets Hong Kong security head
我许了一个愿望 I Make a Wish
防晒霜的保质期,真的非常重要!!
海明威最爱的10本书
国际英语资讯:Economic Watch: China steps up property controls in smaller cities amid market divergence
国内英语资讯:Chinese peacekeeping forces authority transfer ceremony held in Lebanon
“美国队长”读睡前故事 吸引一众宝妈粉丝(视频)
What’s whataboutism?
妈妈的话 Mother’s Words
研究:母乳能杀死癌细胞
体坛英语资讯:Stuttgart, Hannover earn top-flight promotions in German Bundesliga