Chinese university asks students to fall in love during spring holidays
India Today
The instruction from the university came as China seeks to boost birth rates, which dropped to a record low in 2025.
A Chinese university is urging students to "enjoy the flowers, fall in love" during their mid-term break, an unusual directive in a nation obsessed with getting good grades, as authorities seek new ways to spur marriages and domestic consumption.
"See the flowers and enjoy romance" is the theme for the spring holidays from April 1 to 6, the Sichuan Southwest Vocational College of Aviation said on its official WeChat account.
Tuesday's notice exhorting teachers and students to put down the books came about two weeks after China said it would introduce spring and autumn holidays for schools, in addition to the traditional times of summer and winter.
Authorities have said they will also encourage staggered paid leave to enable workers to travel in off-peak seasons.
Provinces such as Sichuan and eastern Jiangsu, along with cities like Suzhou and Nanjing, have unveiled plans for spring breaks, most set for April or early May.
China seeks to boost domestic consumption by encouraging travel and leisure activities among its population of 1.4 billion. Authorities also hope more free time will set the stage for births to reverse a worrisome trajectory of decline.
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