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China public holidays
China’s public holidays in 2026 and 2027
| In Chinese | 2026 | 2027 | Days off by law | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | 元旦 Yuándàn | Thu, Jan 1 | Fri, Jan 1 | 1 |
| Spring Festival, from the eve | 春节 Chūnjié | Mon, Feb 16 to Thu, Feb 19 | Fri, Feb 5 to Mon, Feb 8 | 4 |
| Qingming Festival | 清明节 Qīngmíngjié | Sun, Apr 5 | Mon, Apr 5 | 1 |
| Labour Day | 劳动节 Láodòngjié | Fri, May 1 to Sat, May 2 | Sat, May 1 to Sun, May 2 | 2 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | 端午节 Duānwǔjié | Fri, Jun 19 | Wed, Jun 9 | 1 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | 中秋节 Zhōngqiūjié | Fri, Sep 25 | Wed, Sep 15 | 1 |
| National Day | 国庆节 Guóqìngjié | Thu, Oct 1 to Sat, Oct 3 | Fri, Oct 1 to Sun, Oct 3 | 3 |
The seven public holidays
元旦
New Year's Day
春节
Spring Festival; Chinese New Year
除夕
New Year's Eve (esp. Lunar New Year's Eve)
清明节
Qingming Festival; Tomb-Sweeping Day
劳动节
Labor Day (May 1)
端午节
Dragon Boat Festival (5th day of the 5th lunar month)
中秋节
Mid-Autumn Festival
国庆节
National Day (October 1 in the PRC)
Their nicknames
五一
May Day; International Labor Day (May 1)
十一
National Day (October 1 holiday in China)
Days off
放假
to have a holiday; to be on vacation
假期
vacation; holiday
节假日
holidays; public holidays and weekends
黄金周
golden week (week-long national holiday)
小长假
short holiday; mini-vacation
调休
to take time off in lieu
请假
to ask for leave; to take time off
年假
annual leave
Holiday life
春运
Spring Festival travel rush
过年
to celebrate the New Year (especially Spring Festival)
回家
to go home; to return home
旅游
tourism; travel
堵车
traffic jam
上班
to go to work; to be at work
加班
to work overtime
What are the public holidays in China?
Seven, with 13 days off a year by law: 元旦 (Yuándàn), New Year’s Day, 1 day; 春节 (Chūnjié), the Spring Festival, 4 days from New Year’s Eve; 清明节 (Qīngmíngjié), 1 day; 劳动节 (Láodòngjié), Labour Day, 2 days; 端午节 (Duānwǔjié), the Dragon Boat Festival, 1 day; 中秋节 (Zhōngqiūjié), Mid-Autumn, 1 day; and 国庆节 (Guóqìngjié), National Day, 3 days. Three follow the lunar calendar, so their dates move every year.
What is Golden Week in China?
黄金周 (huángjīnzhōu) is the week off around National Day on 1 October: three days by law, made into seven by swapping the nearby weekends. In years when Mid-Autumn falls close by, as in 2028, the two join into eight days. It is China’s busiest week for travel, so trains, flights and sights fill up early. Chinese New Year gives a second long break of a week or more.
What is 调休 in China?
调休 (tiáoxiū) is the swap that makes holidays longer: you work a Saturday or Sunday next to the holiday, a 补班 (bǔbān) day, and get a weekday off in return, so three days become five or seven. The exact days off and working weekends for each year are set in a notice from the State Council late in the year before.
When is the Chinese New Year holiday?
The days off start on New Year’s Eve, 除夕 (chúxī), and run four days by law, usually stretched to eight or nine with swapped weekends. The next Chinese New Year falls on Sat, Feb 6, 2027. The weeks around it are 春运 (chūnyùn), the travel rush, when hundreds of millions go home.
How do you say holiday in Chinese?
A festival or holiday is 节日 (jiérì), to have a day off is 放假 (fàngjià), and a holiday or vacation is 假期 (jiàqī). People call Labour Day 五一 (Wǔ-Yī), May 1, and National Day 十一 (Shí-Yī), October 1: 十一放假吗？ is “are you off for National Day?”
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More on Chinese festivals
Words, pinyin and meanings from our own dictionary; lunar dates from the Hong Kong Observatory tables, and days off from the State Council’s holiday measures as revised in 2024. Swapped weekends are set each year and not shown.