A deputy's proposal to resume the seven-day Labor Day Golden Week holiday has sparked heated debate online as well as in the ongoing sessions of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and National People's Congress (NPC).

Three tourists look at the world's largest bronze Buddha in Longkou, Shandong province. [China Daily]

"We need a weeklong holiday at some point during nearly half a year's hard work, because having three days off doesn't afford enough time for long-distance travel," 27-year-old Beijinger Su Jun said yesterday.

"It is so hard to ask the boss for paid leave in the face of the global economic crisis."

She was also worried her travel-mates could not get paid leave at the same time as her.

Su was one of 5 million who voted in an online poll that www.people.com.cn revealed on Wednesday in which 92.2 percent of respondents supported the resumption.

Former vice-director of the National Tourism Administration (NTA) Zhang Xiqin made the proposal during a group discussion of the ongoing CPPCC session.

He pointed out the seven-day Labor Day holiday could cushion the economic downturn by boosting tourism and domestic consumption.

China kicked off the May Day and National Day golden week holidays in 1999 partly to spur domestic consumption.

Then three golden weeks were cut down to two.