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Corporate Social Responsibility Solutions SGS CONSUMER TESTING SERVICES NO. 006/08 JANUARY 2008

New National Holidays in bring total to 11

The Chinese government has officially announced the withdrawal of one of the country's three "" holidays and introduced three new one-day national public holidays. The new National Public Plan (Plan) adds three traditional festivals - Tomb-Sweeping Day, Dragon-boat Festival, and Mid Autumn Festival - to the list of public holidays in China.

National Holidays in China (Effective January 1, 2008) The Spring Festival remains a three-day ⇒ Holiday (1 day) , but will start one day ⇒ Spring Festival (3 days) earlier from the eve of the Lunar New ⇒ Tomb-Sweeping Day (1 day) Year. The May Day holiday is shortened ⇒ May Day holiday (1 day – May 1st) from three days to one day, while the ⇒ Dragon-boat Festival (1 day) three-day National Day holiday and one- ⇒ Mid Autumn Festival (1 day) day New Year holiday remain ⇒ National Day holiday (3 days – October 1st - 3rd ) unchanged. The government will continue to move the weekend days This 2nd revision of the Plan, made on December 14, adjacent to a national holiday to form a 2007, which came into effect on January 1, 2008, also longer holiday period so that people will increases the total number of national holidays from 10 have three or seven days off in a row. to 11 days. Each of the three traditional festivals will be a one-day holiday, according to the plan unveiled by the State Council.

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