CER reports:

In China, a holiday for all is essentially a holiday for none. Holy mountains are swarmed with hellish crowds. Vacationers vie for ever last inch of beach space at sea resorts. Perhaps worst of all, the country's transportation system is pushed to maximum capacity and sometimes beyond (it still is during Chinese New Year, which is thought to be the largest movement of people on the planet).

But even if the government has curbed some of the crowds, the sacredness of the five-day work week (for those it may apply to in China) should not be violated. Asking people to work seven or eight days in a row is comparable to asking an 8-year-old to do math homework for longer than 40 minutes. By the end of the long stretch, productivity will be low. The government also looked foolish violating its own labor law for the January 1 holiday.

An alternative to the current regime is being hotly debated in the Chinese media. Economic Information, a government-back news site, invited specialist to debate the topic. Paid leave that can be taken at will instead of set holidays has gained much support.

Read more: http://www.chinaeconomicreview.com/china-dragon-boat-festival-long-workweek-debate