Students wait with their parents to board a train for an autumn holiday trip in Jinhua, East China’s Zhejiang Province on November 12, 2025. Photo: VCG

Several regions, in provinces including South China's Guangdong Province, Southwest China's Sichuan Province, and North China's Shanxi Province, have announced autumn holiday schedules for second and primary school students. The breaks generally last three to four days, with some arranged alongside weekends to form five-day holidays, CCTV News reported on Saturday. 

Shenzhen in Guangdong Province has scheduled a four-day autumn break from November 17 to 20 for schools in compulsory education phase. Zigong and Panzhihua in Sichuan Province will have autumn holidays from November 16 to 18 and November 18 to 20, respectively, while Yuncheng in Shanxi Province has scheduled its break for November 5, 6 and 9. Cities across Hunan Province have also announced arrangements, with most breaks concentrated in mid-November. Some regions have also announced spring holiday dates for 2027, with no make-up working days scheduled after the spring and autumn breaks, according to CCTV News.

In recent years, as the "double reduction" policy aimed at easing students' academic burdens has been implemented, calls for more flexible school schedules have grown louder, Xinhua reported.

Although winter and summer vacations are longer, they often coincide with peak travel seasons. Spring and autumn breaks can help families avoid crowds and give parents opportunities to travel with their children at a more relaxed pace, CCTV News reported.

The introduction of spring and autumn holidays also reflects a shift in educational thinking, recognizing that learning takes place not only in classrooms but also in nature, rural settings and during travel, according to the report.

However, the mismatch between children's school holidays and parents' work schedules remains a challenge, as students may be off school while their parents continue working.

Experts suggest that implementing spring and autumn holidays requires coordination among families, schools and society. They also call for the effective implementation of paid leave policies and encourage staggered vacations to help parents take time off at different periods and ensure students can make meaningful use of their holidays, CCTV News reported.

Global Times