Earlier this month, a national policy document on expanding service consumption called for “optimizing student vacation arrangements” to stimulate new growth. The document followed a March action plan to boost consumption, which proposed giving localities the flexibility to pilot spring or autumn breaks for students. “If parents align their paid leave with spring and autumn breaks, they are more likely to travel — boosting service consumption,” noted Peng Peng, a social science researcher from Guangdong. Currently, most family travel in China is concentrated in summer and winter — straining transportation, hotels and scenic sites. In Lichuan, students returned from spring break with artwork and cultural projects inspired by their time off.