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Photo of two people in a flower field, posted by a Chinese vocational college on March 23, 2023 to promote an extended spring break that encourages students to fall in love. Photo/Mianyang Aviation College
BEIJING – A group of vocational colleges in China give their students a week off in April to enjoy the outdoors and find romantic partners.
The colleges of the Fan Mei Education Group are all vocational schools for jobs in the aviation industry, including pilots, flight attendants, and air traffic controllers.
“The school implements a spring break system with the hope that students can learn to love nature, love life, and enjoy love,” said a statement from Mianyang Aviation College on March 23, 2023.
The school encourages students, “Get in touch with nature, and feel the beauty of spring with your heart.”
In a statement, Qingdao Aviation Technology Vocational College said the goal of spring break between April 1 and 7 is to “enjoy flowers and fall in love.”
While the college announcement made no mention of the country’s aging population or shrinking workforce, some Chinese and Western media users linked the decision to concerns around China’s declining birth rate.
“I believe this is just another attempt to encourage people to have more babies,” wrote one person on Chinese social media site Weibo, according to Fox News.
China’s National Bureau of Statistics reports a population decline of 850,000 in 2022, the first drop since 1962.
The data show the lowest birth rate and highest death rate since 1976. Last October, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged “to increase birth rates, and lower costs of pregnancy and childbirth, child-rearing and schooling.”
“Apart from pursuing romance, students still have coursework to do during their weekend off. But the task is in the form of writing a travel diary, making or recording videos of their vacation activities,” said the China Youth Daily report.
This love-themed spring holiday is an extension of China’s one-day national grave-sweeping holiday, known as the Qingming Festival, which falls on April 5 this year.
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