China won't reduce its existing 10 public holidays, but may allocate more days off during traditional festivals, Zhang Xiqin, the deputy director of the National Tourism Administration, said at a press conference on Tuesday.

"We will probably add more traditional holidays as public holidays," Zhang said after complaints about the golden week holiday practice and appeals to modify public holidays.

New Year's Day, Spring Festival, Labor Day and National Day share the 10 public holidays now.

The National Development and Reform Commission, China's top planning body, submitted earlier this year a draft suggesting the country may shorten the length of its three golden weeks. If so, it would add more traditional festivals, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and Qingming Festival, as public holidays.

Zhang said the three golden week holidays have disadvantages such as overcrowded tourist resorts and a shortage of train and air tickets.

"The government is working to find solutions," he said.

"Official holidays could be prolonged. Another possibility would be to link them to other traditional festivals."

A total of 179 million tourists traveled around the country during this year's Labor Day holiday, bringing in 73.6 billion yuan (US$9.56 billion) of tourism revenue, up 25.8 percent from a year earlier, officials announced yesterday.

Meanwhile, Zhang said the situation that it's more difficult to get train and plane tickets does not mean it is necessary to abolish golden week holidays.

Zhang said statistics show that golden week holidays benefit people's lives and promote domestic consumption, which is in line with the central government's strategy to balance the economy.

Golden weeks are created by adding two days on either side of a three-day national holiday. Most workers are required to work two extra days in order to get the golden week.

The government began the golden week practice in 1999 in an effort to encourage spending and boost the economy.

(Shanghai Daily May 10, 2007)