More than half of Chinese public in favour of keeping Golden Week

More than half of people are in favour of a new public holiday plan to keep the Golden Week beginning on National Day on October 1, according to surveys conducted by the State Council’s office in charge of national holidays and major web portals China News Service and Sina.com.

Nearly two-thirds (around 11,000) of the 17,000 who voted in a China News Service poll held between November 27 and December 1 said they were in favour of a plan maintaining the Golden Week holiday, as well as the week-long holiday for the Chinese Lunar New Year festival.

More than 43,000 internet users took part in a similar survey on Sina.com, the No 1 news portal on the Chinese mainland, with more than 50 per cent (21,000) voting for the public holidays to stay the same.

The State Council Office conducted the survey amid growing discontent among the public, as current arrangements consolidating public holidays into single blocks around public holidays such as National Day has led to congested roads and overcrowded tourist sites.

The consolidation allowing the public a week-long holiday by moving around weekends during the past 14 years was aimed at pushing up domestic spending, but has instead resulted in mass exoduses by holidaymakers, straining the country’s flimsy tourism infrastructure.