For Zhu Jiaji, a middle school student in Hangzhou, this spring is particularly fun and relaxing.

Students in all primary and middle schools in Hangzhou, the capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, will enjoy their first spring holiday beginning on April 24.

The city's education bureau has decided to add a two-week-long spring break and a one-week-long autumn retreat to the former school calendar. The spring festival holiday in January and February, and the summer holiday between July and September remain.

Hangzhou is the first city in the country to implement the spring and autumn holidays, but many other cities are likely to follow suit and such a calendar may become standard for all students nationwide.

"To lighten the heavy study burden on children and give them rest time, we have adjusted the holiday timetable," said Huang Jianmin, a senior official with the Hangzhou Education Bureau.

Under the new holiday timetable, the spring holiday lasts two weeks around International Labor Day, which falls on May 1. The summer holiday will be delayed from the beginning of July to the middle of the month, and will end on September 1 as usual.

But despite the support of most students, parents and staff for the new regulation, some parents worry about who will take care of children during the holidays.

(China Daily April 19, 2004)