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| Chinese people look for new ways to enjoy SARS afflicted May Holiday （1） |
| CCTV.COM 2003-05-01 15:05:38 |
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by Chen Ji and Tian Sulei
No discount sales, no travel and none of the sort of hurly－burly usually associated with the seven－day May Holiday.
The holidays, which usually begin on May 1, were instituted a few years ago to stimulate domestic consumption.
This year the holiday has been reduced to five days to help curb the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome （SARS） epidemic. And the official advice for the shortened holiday is to "stay indoors".
Feng Dengsheng, editor of a fashion magazine in Shunde in south China's Guangdong Province, was initially disappointed because he had to cancel an overseas trip. His mood, however, soon changed when he realized he could take the time to visit his parents in Guangzhou, the province's capital.
"My parents often ask my two brothers and I to visit them, but most of the time we let them down," said Feng. "This time we will all make it. My parents are happy about this and regard it as a grand family reunion. It's been done only at Spring Festival in the past."
All in all, Feng is delighted with the change. "When we were still kids, we used to sit around our parents and listen to their stories," said Feng. "There wasn't much entertainment then, but those stories made our childhood happy and memorable."
Feng said that for his part, he did not often tell stories to his 3－year－old boy. "I'll be able to do this in the next five days," he said.
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Editor: Liu Hongji Source:Xinhua
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