China in recent years has seen a decline in its overall population amid an ageing society and plunging birthrate. To address the looming demographic crisis, political advisors to the government have come up with many recommendations. Meanwhile, Chinese colleges have also come up with a unique plan to address the problem. Nine vocational colleges in China have announced a weeklong holiday in April and asked students to find love.

Run by the Fan Mei Education Group, the schools on March 23 said that they are going on a break from April 1 to 7 and tasked students with enjoying themselves. The 7-day holiday encourages students to “learn to love nature, love life, and enjoy love through enjoying the spring break."

“I hope that students can go to see the green water and green mountains and feel the breath of spring. This will not only broaden students’ horizons and cultivate their sentiments but also enrich and deepen the teaching content in the classroom," Liang Guohui, deputy dean of Mianyang Flying Vocational College, said in a statement.

Also Read: Five factors that led to decline in China's population

The schools were giving a week off in spring since 2019, however, this year’s theme “enjoy the blossoms, go fall in love" focuses on personal growth and romance. The students have also been asked to write diaries, keep track of personal development, and make travel videos as homework. “Walk out of campus, get in touch with nature, and with your heart feel the beauty of spring," the statement added.

To bolster the rapidly declining birth and marriage rates, several local companies, provinces, and townships in China have also been experimenting with ways to get people to marry. Some companies are offering 30 days of “marriage leave" while others have launched campaigns asking city women to date rural older bachelors.

China which has long been the world's most populous nation, in 2022 witnessed a decline in its population for the first time in more than six decades. The National Bureau of Statistics reported the country had 850,000 fewer people at the end of 2022 than over the previous year.

The bureau said Chinese of working age between 16 and 59 totalled 875.56 million, accounting for 62.0% of the national population, while those aged 65 and older totalled 209.78 million, accounting for 14.9% of the total.