Children take selfies at a flower field in Baitu Town of Jurong City, east China"s Jiangsu Province, April 2, 2026. (Photo by Zhong Xueman/Xinhua)

　　On the first day of the spring break, eight-year-old Wang Siyuan could hardly contain his excitement as he ran into a science museum in the eastern Chinese city of Hefei.

　　"It feels like we"re walking in space," he shouted, tugging at his parents as he rushed toward an interactive exhibit.

　　The outing had long been on his wishlist. "He"s been talking about coming here for days," his father said. "Now that the spring break has started, his wish has finally come true."

　　Across China, primary and secondary schools in several regions have introduced a new spring break, often timed around the three-day Qingming Festival in early April or the five-day May Day holiday, allowing more children like Wang to combine time off into six to eight-day vacations.

　　Following earlier pilots in provinces such as Zhejiang and Sichuan, more regions -- including Jiangsu, Anhui, Shandong, Hunan and Guizhou -- have joined this year, pushing the policy toward wider adoption.

　　"So far this year, nearly 100 cities from more than a dozen provincial-level regions have introduced spring breaks," said Ma Liang, a professor at the School of Government, Peking University. He added that the arrangements vary depending on local conditions such as climate, academic schedules and prior consultation with parents.

　　Unlike traditional school holidays, the spring break comes with fewer written assignments. Instead, schools are encouraging practical experiences and family interaction.