THE Chinese government yesterday announced a major overhaul of its national holiday system.

The May Day Golden Week has been canceled but three traditional festivals have been added as national holidays.

The draft proposal worked out by a special panel after more than a year's research has been posted on the Internet for public discussion.

If accepted, the proposal could be enacted in time for the 2008 Spring Festival.

It means workers will receive one more paid day off each year if the draft amendment to statutory holiday laws is approved.

The three-day May Day holiday will be cut to one day, while the Tomb-sweeping Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival will become national vacations, according to the draft, which was released by the government's office in charge of national holidays.

That raises the number of paid holiday days to 11 from 10.

The Spring Festival break will begin on Lunar New Year's Eve instead of the first day of the Chinese New Year, and the holiday will end a day earlier, the draft said.

People can vote or voice an opinion on the draft at China's major Websites such as Sina.com, People.com and Xinhuanet.com.

China introduced the Golden Week holidays in 1999 to boost domestic consumption.

Tourism revenue soared from 14.1 billion yuan (US$1.90 billion) during the 1999 National Day holiday to 64.2 billion yuan during the recent Golden Week in October.

However, complaints about overcrowding, poor service, a scarcity of hotel rooms and damage to scenic spots, especially historic sites, during the Golden Week breaks have spurred debate over the merits of the weeklong holiday concept.

According to Xinhua news agency, an official of the special panel said the new plan takes into account five key principles:

The number of legal holidays should mirror the current phase of economic and social development;

The legal holiday arrangement should help pass on traditional customs and culture;

Negative effects on the economy and society should be minimized;

All citizens should share in social justice via the achievements of economic and social development;

People should have the right to rest and travel.

Timely move

The official said the new arrangement will be enacted along with regulations on paid vacations. It will ensure that people have enough time to travel, yet won't all be on the move at the same time.

"Making traditional festivals legal holidays will help carry forward Chinese history and culture, benefit 1.3 billion Chinese citizens, help build a harmonious society and enhance the cohesion of the Chinese nation," said Ji Baocheng, a deputy to the National People's Congress and president of Renmin University of China in Beijing.

During its research, the panel investigated the holiday arrangements of other countries, consulted experts, citizens and law makers, and conducted online and phone polls.