CULTURE Minister Sun Jiazheng has called for measures to promote traditional Chinese festivals ahead of the Dragon Boat Festival which falls on May 31 this year.

In a recent nationwide campaign to protect Chinese culture, almost all traditional festivals were included in a list of cultural heritage under State-level protection.

A group of Chinese lawmakers and political advisors have appealed that traditional festivals be made public holidays so that people have time to celebrate them.

A large number of Internet users echoed the call.

The culture minister acknowledged that traditional festivals are gradually fading away and the Chinese people prefer to remember the solar calendar rather than the lunar calendar on which the traditional festivals are based.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese lunar New Year, is one of the best-preserved traditional festivals and some foreign leaders have delivered speeches and hosted celebrations especially for the Chinese Spring Festival in recent years. The Spring Festival has become a widely recognized brand overseas for the promotion of Chinese culture.

Many minority ethnic groups seem to treasure their traditions more, celebrating in the traditional way festivals like the Water Splashing Festival of the Dai ethnic group in Southwest China.

Editor: Wing