Chinese university encourages students to ‘fall in love’ during spring break

Recently, the authorities announced the introduction of additional spring and autumn holidays along with the usual summer and winter ones. In parallel, phased paid leave is being discussed to encourage travel during less busy periods. A number of regions, including Sichuan, Jiangsu, and the cities of Suzhou and Nanjing, have already unveiled spring break plans, mostly for April and early May. The main goal of these measures is to support domestic consumption through the growth of tourism and recreation among the population. In addition, authorities hope that more free time will help change the demographic situation: in 2025, China’s population declined for the fourth year in a row, and the birth rate reached a record low.

On the same day, Beijing published recommendations to create a more child-friendly environment. The National Development and Reform Commission has called for the development of “child-friendly” cities by improving education, health care, transport and leisure infrastructure. Experts note that to increase the birth rate, people need not only social guarantees, but also a sufficient amount of time and financial resources to raise children, so such initiatives can play an important role.