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China Holiday Planner
放假安排 fàngjià ānpái · the holiday schedule
Enter your travel dates to see which days are Chinese public holidays, which weekends are working days, and what that means for crowds, trains and opening hours.
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The answer
China has 13 statutory public holiday days a year, and the State Council moves weekends around them to make longer breaks. In 2026, Spring Festival runs 15 Feb – 23 Feb 2026 and Golden Week 1 Oct – 7 Oct 2026. The 2027 schedule has not been announced yet; Chinese New Year 2027 is 6 Feb 2027.
China public holidays 2026
Official schedule published on 4 November 2025.
| Holiday | Days off | Days | Weekend working days |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day 元旦 | 1 Jan – 3 Jan 2026 | 3 | Sun 4 Jan 2026 |
| Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) 春节 | 15 Feb – 23 Feb 2026 | 9 | Sat 14 Feb 2026, Sat 28 Feb 2026 |
| Qingming Festival 清明节 | 4 Apr – 6 Apr 2026 | 3 | None |
| Labour Day 劳动节 | 1 May – 5 May 2026 | 5 | Sat 9 May 2026 |
| Dragon Boat Festival 端午节 | 19 Jun – 21 Jun 2026 | 3 | None |
| Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节 | 25 Sept – 27 Sept 2026 | 3 | None |
| National Day Golden Week 国庆节 | 1 Oct – 7 Oct 2026 | 7 | Sun 20 Sept 2026, Sat 10 Oct 2026 |
China public holidays 2027
Not announced yet. These are the days fixed by law; the State Council will add bridge days and weekend swaps, usually in late October or November.
| Holiday | Days fixed by law | Days | By law |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day 元旦 | 1 Jan 2027 | 1 | 1 day: 1 January |
| Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) 春节 | 5 Feb – 8 Feb 2027 | 4 | 4 days: New Year's Eve and the first three days of the lunar year |
| Qingming Festival 清明节 | 5 Apr 2027 | 1 | 1 day: the Qingming solar term |
| Labour Day 劳动节 | 1 May – 2 May 2027 | 2 | 2 days: 1 and 2 May |
| Dragon Boat Festival 端午节 | 9 Jun 2027 | 1 | 1 day: 5th day of the 5th lunar month |
| Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节 | 15 Sept 2027 | 1 | 1 day: 15th day of the 8th lunar month |
| National Day Golden Week 国庆节 | 1 Oct – 3 Oct 2027 | 3 | 3 days: 1 to 3 October |
How China’s holiday schedule works
The law fixes 13 public holiday days a year: New Year’s Day, four days for Spring Festival (New Year’s Eve to the 3rd day), Qingming, two days for Labour Day, Dragon Boat, Mid-Autumn and three days for National Day. Three of them follow the lunar calendar and Qingming follows the sun, so their dates move every year.
Each year the State Council turns these days into longer breaks by moving weekends: a Saturday or Sunday next to the holiday becomes a working day, and the weekday in between becomes a day off. That is why Spring Festival lasts eight or nine days and Golden Week seven, and why some weekends are normal working days.
This planner uses the official schedule where it has been published and the dates fixed by law where it has not. We update it when the next year’s notice comes out.
Questions readers ask
When is Golden Week in China?
National Day Golden Week starts on 1 October. In 2026 it runs 1 Oct – 7 Oct 2026, with make-up working days on Sun 20 Sept 2026 and Sat 10 Oct 2026. There is also a five-day Labour Day break from 1 May.
When is the 2027 holiday schedule announced?
The State Council usually publishes next year’s schedule between late October and mid-November; the 2026 schedule came out on 4 November 2025. Until then this planner shows only the days fixed by law, such as Chinese New Year’s Eve to the 3rd day of the New Year (5 Feb – 8 Feb 2027).
What is a make-up working day (调休)?
To join a holiday to the weekend, the government swaps days: a Saturday or Sunday near the holiday becomes a normal working day. Offices, banks and schools open on those days, so a “weekend” can be busy and a weekday can be a holiday.
Is it a bad idea to visit China during Chinese New Year?
Not necessarily, but plan for it. Transport around the holiday is the busiest of the year and many small restaurants and shops close for several days, while temple fairs, lanterns and decorations make it a memorable time. Book trains and hotels early and expect big cities to be quieter.
How many public holidays does China have?
Thirteen days for everyone since 2025: New Year’s Day 1, Spring Festival 4, Qingming 1, Labour Day 2, Dragon Boat 1, Mid-Autumn 1 and National Day 3. Swapped weekends turn them into breaks of 3 to 9 days.
Related
Sources
- State Council General Office, notice on the 2026 public holiday schedule (Xinhua, 4 Nov 2025) · accessed 28 Oct 2026
- State Council decision amending the national holiday rules, in force 1 January 2025 (Xinhua, 12 Nov 2024) · accessed 28 Oct 2026
Update log. 28 October 2026 — published with the official 2026 schedule. Next review due 30 November 2026, when the 2027 schedule is expected. Suggest a correction
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