by Xinhua writer Wang Aihua

BEIJING, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- November in China traditionally saw a lull in tourism, but the iconic theme parks in Shanghai had a different experience this year. The Disney Resort, Legoland and other familiar attractions in this east China metropolis were bustling with children enjoying their autumn school breaks last month.

Guo Jie and her seven-year-old son from Ningbo, a city in the neighboring Zhejiang Province, were among the numerous family explorers that could be spotted at Shanghai's kaleidoscope of theme parks. "Compared with peak seasons like summer vacation or the National Day holiday, this trip was a total steal," Guo told Xinhua. "Plus, the weather is more pleasant at this time of the year."

This trend of off-season family traveling reflects broader policy shifts across China to introduce staggered holidays for children, aiming to reduce their academic pressure, promote hands-on learning beyond classrooms, and notably, to increase consumption.

A series of central policies unveiled this year aim to encourage local authorities across the country to add short breaks in spring and autumn to allow more time for tourism and leisure spending.

This October, Zhejiang, of which the capital city Hangzhou pioneered the introduction of spring and autumn breaks for primary and middle schools over two decades ago, became the first Chinese province to implement such a policy across all its 11 prefecture-level cities.

Other Chinese regions, such as Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the northwest and Jilin Province in the northeast, have also joined this seasonal school break initiative, recently declaring "snow breaks" for students to boost the ice-and-snow economy.

Throughout November, a multitude of scenic spots across Zhejiang extended complimentary admission to visitors on autumn breaks. The municipal government of Shaoxing, a city in Zhejiang, further enhanced the holiday experience by distributing consumption vouchers amid autumn break festivities.

In the southwestern province of Sichuan, the Mount Qingcheng and Dujiangyan Irrigation System scenic area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, generously offered free entry to primary and secondary school students from all over China.

Chen Yuebo, head of an association of agritainment resorts in Ningbo, said they worked nonstop during this year's autumn break. "We collaborated with tourist attractions in the town, as well as homestays and campsites. This made us more competitive as a whole."

Legoland Shanghai Resort said its tickets were sold out on multiple days last month, while Legoland Hotel remained fully booked at the time. According to the resort, the number of visitors from Zhejiang had tripled during the autumn break week, compared with the week before, making that province the largest source of visitors to the park in recent times.

Travel agencies in Shanghai, meanwhile, revealed that the number of family tourists that booked tickets for the city's major theme parks during the autumn break had even surpassed that of the traditional peak season in October.

Zhou Weihong, deputy general manager of Shanghai-based Spring Tour, said the autumn break had driven consumption growth across related industries, including air tickets and hotels, effectively invigorating the traditional off-season market.

In Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, ski resorts have been in full swing this past week thanks to the city's complimentary admission policy for all primary and middle school students in this autonomous region. Students in Urumqi and Altay Prefecture, a prestigious ski destination in Xinjiang, embraced their first official snow break this December, which ended on Sunday.

Fan Lanlan, a manager at a ski resort in Urumqi, said student reservations at the resort had exceeded 10,000 during this snow vacation, marking a peak in tourist arrivals.

Li Xia, head of a ski school in Altay, said that tens of hundreds of teenagers had gathered at the school during the holiday. "The first day of the snow break was as busy as that of the peak season during the annual Chinese New Year holiday," Li remarked, adding that they had to make adjustments to the ski equipment and ski run in advance, to specifically set up counters for these students.

Industry insiders are suggesting that regions across the country further leverage their own resource endowments to launch unique tourism products and services, and that they should try to prevent their off-season school breaks overlapping with those in other regions. They have also called for further efforts to refine supporting policies and improve supervision.

Professor Lou Jiajun from Shanghai-based East China Normal University has suggested that cultural and tourism enterprises launch differentiated products tailored to children of different age groups and their families.

Xue Ping, an education official in Zhejiang, meanwhile, has proposed efforts to prompt enterprises and institutions to facilitate paid leave for parents.

While the central government plan mandates strict enforcement of paid annual leave for parents, local authorities across the country have also been exploring and introducing various approaches, allowing students to attend care sessions offered by their schools or residential communities, and school-organized research and study programs.

Kong Yongguo, a leading education official in Hangzhou, said that free after-school care services are not simply about students studying or resting in classrooms, but require that sports, cultural, artistic and sci-tech activities be organized, thereby offering students more opportunities to gain practical experience.

Mr. Zhu, parent of a third-grade student in Hangzhou, said free after-school care services are crucial, while voicing his hope that residential communities and other entities can also contribute to enriching children's lives during holidays. Enditem