Many traditional Chinese festivals are to be made into legal holidays, according to the newspaper Huaxi City Daily.

These festivals include the Dragon Boat festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and the Pure Brightness Holiday.

The Eve before the Spring Festival (the Chinese Lunar New Year) is also expected to become an official holiday, as it is traditionally considered one of the most important days during the Spring Festival.

So far, experts have completed the deliberation on the issue and these holidays are expected to undergo the legal process next year.

However, this may not mean an increase in the number of the overall legal holidays for the Chinese people, as experts hope to shorten other long holidays, such as the week-long May 1st holiday season and the October 1st Holiday, to make room for these new holidays.

(CRI June 14, 2005)