Two boats capsize at Dragon Boat Festival (17) Jul 16, 2008
Two boats capsize at Dragon Boat Festival ... RACINE The fifth annual Midwest Dragon Boat Festival got off to an interesting start for two teams Saturday morning ... Scott Anderson Journal Times Members of the In-Sink-Erator Dragon Boat Team compete Saturday during a heat race of the Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival in Lake Michigan south of Samuel Myers Park. (Racine Journal Times, WI)
Gordon Kacala: Convention and Visitors Bureau brings international cycling event to Racine Jul 13, 2008
First, it was the Spirit of Racine Triathlon, then the Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival and finally, Extreme Volleyball Professionals beach volleyball. All of these events put Racine County on the national and, in some cases, the international stage for sporting events. (Racine Journal Times, WI)
Racing Rowers: Dragon boat races bring out rowers competitive spirit Jul 13, 2008
Serious enough to take first place in their division in last year s Great Midwest Dragon Boat Festival ... Racine s races are the main event at the two-day Dragon Boat Festival, which serves as a fundraising effort for the community, facilitated by Racine s three Rotary clubs (Racine Downtown, Racine West and Racine Founders) ... Funds raised by the festival go toward various projects sponsored by Rotary foundations including scholarships and community-based projects, according to Jessica... (Racine Journal Times, WI)
Air China Announces Direct Flights to Taiwan Jun 25, 2008
BEIJING, June 25 /CNW/ -- Air China (HKEX: 0735; LSE: AIRC; SSE: 60111) today announced that from July 4th, 2008 it will be commencing regular direct flights from Beijing to Taipei and Kaohsiung, Taiwan (Canada Newswire)
* Lawmakers urge crackdown on Chinese mushrooms Jun 24, 2008
With Chinese mushrooms costing NT$200 to NT$300 per kilogram, compared with NT$600 to NT$800 for locally grown mushrooms, Hsu said, Taiwanese growers suffered a 60 percent drop in sales during the recent Dragon Boat Festival holiday because of the availability of smuggled Chinese mushrooms. Hsu said Chinese mushrooms contain excessive levels of pesticide residue, which was why he and his colleagues urged the government to crack down on smuggling to ensure consumer safety as well as the... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Modern crews sign on for ancient Chinese dragon boat racing Jun 20, 2008
Diggin' the Charles: Dragon boaters dig their paddles in the Charles River, propelling their boat at speeds of up to 11 m.p.h. in a race at the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival of Boston ... An estimated 100,000 people in North America participate in races like today's Boston Dragon Boat Festival each year, according to the International Dragon Boat Federation. (Christian Science Monitor -- USA)
China-Taiwan flight deal marks further thaw in ties Jun 14, 2008
In Pictures China's Dragon Boat Festival. ELECTION '08 The American voter beyond red and blue. (Christian Science Monitor)
US policy and the pro-Israel lobby: A university in Jerusalem takes on the debate Jun 14, 2008
The authors of 'The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy' said Thursday that the special-interest group is leading the charge for attacking Iran and damaging US interests. posted June 14, 2008 at 3:45 p.m. EDT. (Christian Science Monitor)
Congress wary of oil-market speculation Jun 14, 2008
After a failed effort to boost taxes on oil companies, lawmakers turn attention to role of speculators in driving up oil prices. from the June 13, 2008 edition. (Yahoo News -- Oil and Gas)
Mainland, Taiwan agree on weekend charter flights Jun 13, 2008
The two sides started chartered flight service for the Spring Festival, a major event for Chinese family reunions, in 2003 and since 2006, the service has been expanded to three other major Chinese festivals: the Qingming, or Tomb Sweeping, Festival; Dragon Boat Festival; and Mid-Autumn Festival. The mainland-based Cross-Strait Aviation Transport Exchange Council and TAA were entrusted to discuss and implement details of the agreement, which will take effect from June 20. (Xinhuanet, China)
A cultural row over dragon boats Jun 12, 2008
BEIJING - A mixture of pride and prickle pervaded China's first public celebration of Duanwu, or dragon boat festival, in over half a century ... The dragon boat festival, which falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, was one of three traditional Chinese festivals that were added as official public holidays ... In 2005, China saw the dragon boat festival nominated and later successfully listed as an intangible cultural heritage of neighboring South Korea. (Asia Times Online)
Chinese mainland's Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait and the Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation began to hold talks after nine years' suspension. • Weekend chartered flights discussed Jun 12, 2008
Meanwhile, the service has been expanded to three other major Chinese festivals, the Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. However, residents and industries from the both sides are calling for regular chartered flights for weekends and faster cargo transport services. (Xinhuanet, China)
Growing oil addiction Jun 11, 2008
7 percent yesterday after the three-day holiday of the Dragon Boat Festival in the steepest drop in more than a year. However, the panic selling is largely a result of investors' concerns over the impacts of the reserve-requirement ratio hike announced on Saturday by the People's Bank of China. (Xinhuanet, China)
Chinese stocks plunge 8.1 percent Jun 10, 2008
Stock markets in mainland China and Hong Kong had been closed on Monday as a continuation of the dragon boat festival on Sunday. So part of the fall in these markets reflected a belated reaction to Wall Street's plunge on Friday after the Labor Department announced a sharp increase in unemployment, to 5. (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
European and Asian markets fall on prospect of U.S. rate increase Jun 10, 2008
Stock markets in mainland China and Hong Kong had been closed on Monday as a continuation of the Dragon Boat Festival on Sunday. Economists attributed the steepness of the Chinese market's plunge to broader worries among investors about how far the Chinese government will go to slow the economy to prevent food and oil prices from triggering a broader rise in inflation. (International Herald Tribune -- Business)
Chinese shares make deepest dive in one-plus year on reserve requirement hike Jun 10, 2008
Chinese shares take the deepest single-day plunge in more than one year after the three-day holiday of the Dragon Boat Festival, with investors nervous about the impacts of the reserve-requirement ratio hike announced on Saturday by the central bank ... BEIJING, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese shares take the deepest single-day plunge in more than one year after the three-day holiday of the Dragon Boat Festival, with investors nervous about the impacts of the reserve-requirement ratio hike announced... (Xinhuanet, China)
Chinese shares opened 3.83% lower Jun 10, 2008
11 points Tuesday morning after the three-day holiday of the Dragon Boat Festival, with investors nervous about the impacts of the reserve-requirement ratio hike announced on Saturday by the central bank. The People's Bank of China (PBOC), the country's central bank, on Saturday ordered lenders to set aside more money as reserve, the fifth such move this year. (Xinhuanet, China)
* People pay more for zongzi this year: vendors Jun 9, 2008
If you didnt buy any zongzi (l) for Dragon Boat Festival yesterday, you may not have noticed, but this traditional treat of glutinous rice stuffed with meat, mushrooms and other goodies wrapped with bamboo leaves has become the latest foodstuff to become more expensive with increases in commodity prices ... Far Eastern Geant said these super-cheap zongzi, known as Shihmen Zong (), are the cheapest among the 30 different zongzi it sold this year, and accounted for 200,000 or 25 percent... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* Vice Speaker Tseng to lead Paralympics delegation to China Jun 9, 2008
Wang made the remarks after he was approached for comment during a Dragon Boat Festival event in Changhua County. FIRST LADY. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Feature: HK's top dragon boat race ever hotter Jun 9, 2008
Tuen Ng Festival, alternatively known as Dragon boat Festival for one of the major traditional celebrations on the day, is widely celebrated in China, including the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as in some Asian countries. The festival, mostly recognized as commemorating ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan falls on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese calendar, which is June 8 this year. (Xinhuanet, China)
Infotainment Jun 8, 2008
Dragon Boat Festival HAINAN: Participants compete in the Dragon Boat Festival which falls on June 8 (today) this year. reuters. (Daily Times, Pakistan)
* Festival changing, folklorist says Jun 8, 2008
CHANGING TIMES: Yuan Chuang-rue said the Dragon Boat Festival used to have practical functions that have been superceded in the wake of modernization by Emmanuelle Tzeng CNA REPORTER Sunday, Jun 08, 2008, Page 2. The Dragon Boat Festival, which is being celebrated today, features an array of activities such as dragon boat races, eating zongzi (l) and making fragrant sachets, but the traditional festival X one of the most important holidays of the lunar calendar X seems to have lost some... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* FEATURE: Dragon Boats have green message Jun 8, 2008
Chen Yi-nan poses as a thousand-year-old fairy on his winning aluminum-can boat at the Green Dragon Boat Festival competition in Hualien last week ... The Green Dragon Boat Festival competition in Hualien last week might be described as a Taiwanese version of Junkyard Wars X a US reality TV show where teams battle with machines made out of material found in the junkyard X The Green Dragon Boat Festival includes a race with dragon boats made entirely of recycled materials ... As it was... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
1st day-off for Duanwu revives tradition Jun 8, 2008
First day-off for China's Dragon Boat Festival helps revive tradition_English_Xinhua. First day-off for China's Dragon Boat Festival helps revive tradition ... People practice paddling before a dragon boat race for the Dragon Boat Festival on the West Lake of Fuzhou, East China's Fujian province June 4, 2008. (Xinhuanet, China)
The Dragon Boat Festival, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, has had a history of more than 2,000 years. Jun 7, 2008
The Dragon Boat Festival --English--People's Daily Online ... The Dragon Boat Festival ... The Dragon Boat Festival, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, has had a history of more than 2,000 years. (People's Daily Online, China)
* Missionaries in Taichung pass out 'zongzi' for the poor Jun 7, 2008
Taichung-based Mormon missionaries on bicycles traveled throughout the city yesterday, distributing some 2,000 zongzi (l) to the needy on the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival ... Zongzi , a pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumpling with various savory fillings, is usually cooked in bamboo leaves and is especially popular around the time of the Dragon Boat Festival. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Celebrating festivals according to customs Jun 7, 2008
On the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which is Sunday this year, all Chinese celebrate one of their major traditional festivals, the Duanwu Festival, or Dragon Boat Festival ... BEIJING, June 7 -- On the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, which is Sunday this year, all Chinese celebrate one of their major traditional festivals, the Duanwu Festival, or Dragon Boat Festival. (Xinhuanet, China)
Cambodia: Zongzi becomes a tool of affection relay Jun 7, 2008
PHNOM PENH, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Top herbal wine producer of Cambodia Ear Cheam Heng has ordered dozens of Zongzi on eve of the Dragon Boat Festival on June 8 as seasonal gifts for his friends, business partners as well as relatives ... In China, people have the tradition to have Zongzi a pyramid-shaped dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves, during the Dragon Boat Festival which was designed to commemorate an ancient major-pillar poet. (Xinhuanet, China)
Chinese celebrate Dragon Boat Festival Jun 7, 2008
Dragon Boat Festival. On the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, all Chinese celebrate one of their major traditional festivals, the Duanwu Festival, or Dragon Boat Festival. (Xinhuanet, China)
* Zongzi enthusiasts turn to chain stores for deals Jun 6, 2008
Zongzi (l) have been a top seller at supermarket chains in the run up to Sundays Dragon Boat Festival as consumers opt to buy the traditional treat instead of making them at home amid soaring commodity prices. Zongzi, a pyramid-shaped delicacy especially popular during the weeks before and after the Dragon Boat Festival, is made of glutinous rice stuffed with various savory fillings, such as pork, mushrooms and egg yolks. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* Ma to be closely protected at race: security bureau Jun 6, 2008
The three-day event, which will be launched at Dajia Riverside Park in Taipeis Zhongshan District, is part of a series of activities to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on Sunday this year. As this is the first time that the nations president will take part in a dragon boat race, questions have been raised over the issue of security. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* President announces energy-saving program Jun 6, 2008
Meanwhile, as the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, the Presidential Office urged staffers to refrain from giving or accepting gifts and not to attend free lunches and dinners. This story has been viewed 499 times. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Asian Festival Jun 5, 2008
The festival features many activities including shakuhachi, manga exchange, a falun gong club demonstration, tripitika koreana, a dragon boat festival, arashi taiko, a Japanese tea ceremony, international student exchange programs, and belly dancing. The sixth annual Asian Festival will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 7th at Martin Regional Library, 2601 S. Garnett Road. (FOX23.com, OK)
Cross-Strait flights for Dragon Boat Festival start Jun 4, 2008
Cross-Strait flights for Dragon Boat Festival leaves Shanghai ... Cross-Strait flights for Dragon Boat Festival leaves Shanghai ... A total of 158 passengers that boarded the Taiwan-based China Airlines'flight AE7202 left Shanghai for Taipei at 11:10 on June 3, 2008, kicking off a series of seasonal cross-Straits charter flights for the traditional Chinese Dragon Boat Festival. (People's Daily Online, China)
Tomorrow will be better Jun 3, 2008
Students make colourful strings, a special decoration for the Chinese traditional Dragon Boat Festival, to pray for quake victims in southwest China's Sichuan Province, in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, June 2, 2008 ... The school plan to send these strings and letters bearing good wishes to the quake-hit areas in Sichuan prior to the Dragon Boat Festival, that falls on June 8 this year ... Students show their colourful strings, a special decoration for the Chinese... (People's Daily Online, China)
Chinese poet commemorated before Dragon Boat Festival Jun 2, 2008
People in Zigui County will hold a series of events to commemorate Qu Yuan before the day of the Dragon Boat Festival which falls on June 8 this year. Qu Yuan lived in the state of Chu during the Warring States period (475 B.C. to 221 B.C.). (Xinhuanet, China)
Cross-Strait charter flights set for Dragon Boat Festival May 30, 2008
BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Ten airlines from the mainland and Taiwan will make 19 round-trip flights for the traditional Duanwu, or Dragon Boat Festival, from June 3-15, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said Thursday ... The Dragon Boat Festival falls on June 8 this year. (Xinhuanet, China)
Making zongzi to greet Dragon Boat Festival May 29, 2008
People in China began making zongzi to greet the traditional Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on June 8 this year. (Xinhua/Shi Yucheng). (People's Daily Online, China)
Respite from the city May 25, 2008
It is also one of the venues for the annual Penang International Dragon Boat Festival, where traditionally-built boats race in synch with drumbeats. FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE MALAYSIA (FRIM), KUALA LUMPUR. (The Star Online, Malaysia)
* Pork prices likely to rise: council May 23, 2008
Domestic consumers should be assured, however, that there will be no shortage of pork during the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival. The inflation of pork prices comes mainly from the rising price of animal feed. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* Food agency starts selling low-cost glutinous rice May 21, 2008
People who are looking forward to the annual treat of eating zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival can rest assured that adequate supplies of glutinous rice, the main ingredient in the steamed dumplings, will be available at a reasonable price ... Zongzi, consisting mostly of steamed glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, is traditionally made in celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on June 8 this year ... In view of the extensive demand ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival, the... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
'The thing about dragon boat racing is there's plenty of support, companionship and physical activity with people who have been through the same thing you have. It makes body and mind strong. A few of the women are in their 70s and they are fit. I feel healthier than I ever have.' May 20, 2008
I'm always up for it," says Terry Coleman of Lawrenceville about dragon boating. This is her seventh season paddling for Machestic Dragons, a team of breast cancer survivors, and her first as the team's president. How did a 2,000-year-old Chinese sport take hold among modern breast cancer survivors of the West? Dr. Donald McKenzie, a sports medicine physiologist at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, launched the first survi vor team in 1996 to challenge a theory that repetitive,... (NJ.com -- Times)
Jump In: Family May 18, 2008
Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival of Boston North America's longest-running dragon boat festival commemorates a 2,000-year-old tradition, honoring the life of ancient Chinese poet Qu Yuan. Here it includes colorful activities on either side of the Charles. (Boston Globe)
How fast is your yak? Apr 15, 2008
The contests usually are held during the Dragon Boat Festival ... About 20m long with the front resembling the beasts fiery open mouth and the rear shaped like its scaly tail, the bold-coloured vessels hit the water during the annual Dragon Boat Festival, an event held across China on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. (iAfrica.com)
Penang: Tourism Ministry yet to keep RM1m pledge Apr 14, 2008
Law is chairing the organising committee for both events in his capacity as the Penang International Dragon Boat Festival (PIDBF) committee chairman. More News lect. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
Rice dumplings will cost more as price of glutinous rice climbs Apr 10, 2008
SINGAPORE: With the Dragon Boat Festival coming up in June, the traditional rice dumplings will be costlier this year. That is because the price of glutinous rice, the main ingredient in the dumplings, has gone up by 15 per cent in the past three weeks. (Channel NewsAsia, Singapore)
3/29-30: SRP Dragon Boat Festival Mar 28, 2008
SRP Dragon Boat Festival ... You will find the fifth Annual SRP Dragon Boat Festival, a colorful and exciting family event that has been growing in popularity each year. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
Tempe prepares for weekend events Mar 28, 2008
The Tempe Festival of the Arts runs today through Sunday, while the Tempe Music Festival takes place tonight and Saturday, and the SRP Dragon Boat Festival is Saturday and Sunday. Mill Avenue between University Drive and Third Street will remain closed until 7 a.m. Monday. (AZCentral -- News)
Things to do this weekend Mar 27, 2008
If you're looking for a fun way to enjoy the spring weather, then head out to Tempe Beach Park this weekend for the fifth Annual SRP Dragon Boat Festival. The tradition of dragon boat races dates back thousands of years in Chinese culture, and you can see more than 50 teams compete in this modern-day version of the sport. (AZCentral -- Entertainment)
The fun's going out of Chinese festivals Feb 27, 2008
The country saw one of its most treasured events, the Dragon Boat Festival celebrated in June, nominated and later successfully listed as an intangible part of the cultural heritage of neighboring South Korea ... Since the 2005 UNESCO listing of the Dragon Boat festival, South Korea has applied to have its ritualized Confucius memorial ceremony listed as another unique cultural heritage and is reported ready with an application for the listing of "Chinese traditional medicine" as "Korean... (Asia Times Online)
Netizens support legal holiday status for Lantern Festival Feb 21, 2008
"Lantern Festival, like Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival, is one of the best-known traditional festivals in China. Since these three are public holidays, why is Lantern Festival an exception?" wrote a netizen nicknamed "Shenliuhermit" on Sina ... The May Day holidays were distributed to traditional festivals including Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival in a bid to help carry forward Chinese history and culture and ease the... (Xinhuanet, China)
Old operas lighten Lantern Festival Feb 15, 2008
"We will present more wonderful shows suited to the unique atmosphere of traditional Chinese festivals like the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival," says Guo Yu, director of Shanghai Kunqu Opera House. "We hope to draw today's young generation back to our profound traditional culture and customs.". (Xinhuanet, China)
* Most people in the dark on economic platforms: poll Feb 3, 2008
At present, charter flights across the Taiwan Strait are only available for four holidays -- Lunar New Year, Tombsweeping Day, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival. Asked whose economic policies -- Hsieh's or Ma's -- would be best for Taiwanese, 29. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* Prosecutors indict Chen Tsiao-long Jan 16, 2008
Prosecutors said that Chen intended to hand out 300 packs of tea to local government heads and supporters in Chinshan and Wanli and had sent 160 tea packs by express mail to local government heads and his supporters during Dragon Boat Festival in May. Prosecutors discovered the scheme before the election and interviewed 195 individuals who were suspected of having helped him or accepting his gifts. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
City announces tourism grants Jan 5, 2008
DB Productions, Inc., $10,000 for the Hawaii Dragon Boat Festival (Aug. 23-24). (Honolulu Advertiser)
It was a pretty good year for Nova Scotia tourism Jan 4, 2008
Among the events MacDonald said are scheduled for Cape Breton are the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft, the Louisbourg encampment, the Cape Breton Dragon Boat Festival and the Canadian Little League Championship. dmackenzie@cbpost. (Cape Breton Post)
* Two lawmakers under investigation for vote-buying Dec 26, 2007
Chen said he sent the tea packs by express mail to local government heads and his supporters during the Dragon Boat Festival in May ... DPP legislative caucus whip Ker Chien-ming (_) defended Chen's action, saying that sending gifts during the Dragon Boat Festival was a customary practice. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
* Beijing revises the holiday system to ease overcrowding Dec 18, 2007
Following the change, one of those weeks, the May Day holiday, will be broken up into three traditional one-day holidays -- tomb-sweeping day, dragon boat festival and mid-autumn festival -- which will be marked on separate occasions each year. The May Day holiday will revert to a one-day holiday. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
China revises national holiday system Dec 17, 2007
Under the changes, which start next year, the weeklong May Day vacation will be replaced by three traditional, one-day holidays: grave-sweeping day, the dragon boat festival and the mid-autumn festival, scattered throughout the year. May Day itself will be a separate one-day holiday. (Globe and Mail)
Mirvis: China, Uganda, Watertown Dec 11, 2007
In addition to these courses, they have taken field trips to museums, Chinatowns in Boston and New York, and cultural events such as the Dragon Boat Festival. A few weeks ago, I had the good fortune to break bread at the high school with some of these students and their teachers. (Watertown TAB & Press, MA)
* World News Quick Take Dec 9, 2007
In the proposal issued last month, the government suggested paring the weeklong May 1 Labor Day break down to one day and making new one-day official holidays out of three traditional celebrations: Tomb-sweeping Day, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-autumn Festival. The government had eliminated those holidays in previous years in an attempt to break from what they considered China's feudal past. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
China Moves Toward New Holiday Schedule Dec 8, 2007
In the proposal issued in November, the government suggested paring down the weeklong Labor Day break in May to one day, and making new one-day official holidays out of three traditional celebrations: tomb-sweeping day in April, the mid-autumn festival, and the dragon boat festival, which falls in May or June. The Communist government had previously eliminated those holidays in an attempt to break from what it considered China's feudal past. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
Chinese gov't approves draft plan on holidays, paid vacations Dec 8, 2007
In future, New Year's Day, Tomb-Sweeping Day, May Day, the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival will become holidays of three days each. According to the draft regulations on paid vacations, also made public in early November for public discussion, all employees of government organs, civil organizations, enterprises, and public-service institutions are entitled to take paid vacation after serving the same employer for one year. (Xinhuanet, China)
Tragedy at dragon boat festival Nov 27, 2007
Search teams in Cambodia have recovered the bodies of five Singaporean rowers who drowned after their dragon boat capsized during a race. Detecting media settings. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Technology)
Rethinking holidays Nov 22, 2007
Under a proposal issued earlier this month, the government suggested paring the weeklong May break to one day and making three new one-day holidays out of traditional celebrations including grave-sweeping day, the dragon boat festival and the mid-autumn festival. Reforms may indicate national shiftThe plan has set off a lively debate in the state-run media. (MSNBC -- International)
