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If you are planning a trip to China, placing an order with a Chinese supplier, or trying to work out when offices will reopen, the dates alone do not tell the whole story. China combines statutory holidays, weekends, and make-up workdays to create longer breaks. A nine-day holiday therefore does not mean nine extra paid days off.
In 2026, mainland China has seven nationwide public holidays and 13 statutory holiday days. Those days are joined to weekends and adjusted rest days to create breaks ranging from three to nine days. The longest is the nine-day Spring Festival holiday from February 15 to 23.
This guide covers the official mainland Chinese calendar. Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan issue separate public holiday schedules.
Quick Facts
Nationwide public holidays: 7
Statutory holiday days: 13
Longest official breaks: Spring Festival (February 15–23; New Year’s Eve falls on February 16), followed by National Day (October 1–7)
2026 zodiac: Year of the Horse (马年, mǎ nián) — specifically the Fire Horse (丙午年, bǐng wǔ nián)
As of July 12, 2026, two nationwide public holiday periods remain in mainland China: the Mid-Autumn Festival from September 25 to 27 and National Day from October 1 to 7.
Chinese Public Holidays 2026: Full Calendar
The General Office of the State Council published the dates in its official 2026 public holiday notice on November 4, 2025.
| Major Chinese Holidays | Official 2026 Break | Total Break |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day 元旦 (yuán dàn) | January 1–3 | 3 days |
| Spring Festival 春节 (chūn jié) | February 15–23 | 9 days |
| Qingming Festival 清明节 (qīng míng jié) | April 4–6 | 3 days |
| Labor Day 劳动节 (láo dòng jié) | May 1–5 | 5 days |
| Dragon Boat Festival 端午节 (duān wǔ jié) | June 19–21 | 3 days |
| Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节 (zhōng qiū jié) | September 25–27 | 3 days |
| National Day 国庆节 (guó qìng jié) | October 1–7 | 7 days |
The total-break column includes weekends and adjusted rest days. The underlying statutory holidays add up to 13 days: one for New Year’s Day; four for Spring Festival; one for Qingming; two for Labor Day; one each for Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn; and three for National Day.
What the Seven Public Holidays Celebrate
New Year’s Day: January 1–3. This marks the Gregorian new year rather than the lunar one. It is a short break, and celebrations are generally much quieter than Spring Festival.
Spring Festival: February 15–23. The official break begins one day before New Year’s Eve, which falls on February 16. Lunar New Year’s Day follows on February 17, opening the Year of the Horse. This is China’s biggest family-reunion period. Major cities often feel quieter as people travel home, while stations, airports, highways, and popular destinations get busier. Government offices follow the official break, but individual factory shutdowns may begin earlier or end later. Traditional New Year celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival on March 3. The Chinese New Year traditions guide explains the reunion dinner, red envelopes, temple fairs, and day-by-day customs.
Qingming Festival: April 4–6. Qingming Day itself falls on April 5. Families may visit ancestral graves, clean the site, and leave flowers, food, incense, or other offerings according to local and family custom. It is also associated with spring outings, called ta qing (踏青).
Labor Day: May 1–5. The five-day break falls during spring in much of China and is one of the busiest periods for domestic travel.
Dragon Boat Festival: June 19–21. The festival itself falls on June 19, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Its best-known traditions are dragon boat racing and eating zongzi, parcels of glutinous rice wrapped in leaves. The day is closely associated with the poet Qu Yuan, although some seasonal and protective customs are older than that story.
Mid-Autumn Festival: September 25–27. The festival itself falls on September 25. Families share mooncakes, admire the full moon, and gather for a meal. In 2026 it falls six days before National Day, so the two remain separate holiday periods.
National Day: October 1–7. National Day marks the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Its seven-day break is widely known as Golden Week (黄金周, huáng jīn zhōu), and brings one of the year’s largest travel surges.
How China’s Make-Up Workdays Work: 调休 (tiáo xiū)
China creates longer breaks by joining statutory holidays to nearby weekends and moving some normal rest days. A Saturday or Sunday may then become an official working day. This arrangement is called tiao xiu (调休).
The official make-up workdays for 2026 are:
| Work This Day | Holiday It Extends |
|---|---|
| Sunday, January 4 | New Year’s Day |
| Saturday, February 14 | Spring Festival |
| Saturday, February 28 | Spring Festival |
| Saturday, May 9 | Labor Day |
| Sunday, September 20 | National Day |
| Saturday, October 10 | National Day |
Government bodies and many employers that follow the national calendar treat these as ordinary working days. School and individual company schedules can vary, so confirm directly if a deadline matters.
The easiest mistake is to assume that every weekend remains free. An office may be open on a make-up Saturday and closed on a weekday inside the official holiday period.
The travel rush around Spring Festival has its own name: chun yun (春运). In 2026, the official 40-day travel season ran from February 2 to March 13.
Traveler Tip
Book accommodation early for Spring Festival and National Day, and be ready when train tickets for your route go on sale. Popular departures can sell out quickly.
Major Chinese Festivals Without a Nationwide Day Off
Many important traditional festivals do not bring a nationwide break in mainland China. The lunar and solar dates below were cross-checked against the Hong Kong Observatory’s 2026 Gregorian–Lunar calendar.
| Festival | 2026 Date | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Laba Festival 腊八节 (là bā jié) | January 26 | Laba porridge and the beginning of the run-up to Spring Festival |
| Lantern Festival 元宵节 (yuán xiāo jié) | March 3 | Lanterns, riddles, and sweet rice balls close the New Year season |
| Dragon Head-Raising Day 龙抬头 (lóng tái tóu) | March 20 | Haircuts and spring customs tied to rain and a good harvest |
| Qixi Festival 七夕 (qī xī) | August 19 | The Cowherd and Weaver Girl legend and modern romantic celebrations |
| Zhongyuan Festival 中元节 (zhōng yuán jié) | August 27 | Offerings and regional rituals for ancestors and wandering spirits |
| Double Ninth Festival 重阳节 (chóng yáng jié) | October 18 | Honoring older people, climbing hills, and chrysanthemums |
| Winter Solstice 冬至 (dōng zhì) | December 22 | Family meals, with foods varying widely by region |
These festivals are not observed in exactly the same way everywhere. Region, religion, family background, and generation all shape what people do.
Chinese Holidays by Month in 2026
| Month | Nationwide Public Holiday | Other Major Festivals |
|---|---|---|
| January | New Year’s Day, January 1–3 | Laba, January 26 |
| February | Spring Festival, February 15–23 | — |
| March | — | Lantern Festival, March 3; Dragon Head-Raising Day, March 20 |
| April | Qingming, April 4–6 | — |
| May | Labor Day, May 1–5 | — |
| June | Dragon Boat, June 19–21 | — |
| July | — | — |
| August | — | Qixi, August 19; Zhongyuan, August 27 |
| September | Mid-Autumn, September 25–27 | — |
| October | National Day, October 1–7 | Double Ninth, October 18 |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | Winter Solstice, December 22 |
Note: July and November have no nationwide public holiday break in mainland China.
How to Say Happy Holidays in Chinese
Chinese does not usually use one catch-all seasonal greeting in the way English does. The general phrase is 节日快乐 (jié rì kuài lè, happy holiday), but people normally name the festival.
| Occasion | Phrase | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Any festival | 节日快乐 | jié rì kuài lè |
| New Year, Gregorian or lunar | 新年快乐 | xīn nián kuài lè |
| Spring Festival | 春节快乐 | chūn jié kuài lè |
| Spring Festival, casual | 过年好 | guò nián hǎo |
| Dragon Boat Festival | 端午安康 | duān wǔ ān kāng |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | 中秋快乐 | zhōng qiū kuài lè |
| National Day | 国庆快乐 | guó qìng kuài lè |
For Spring Festival, 过年好 is a warm, everyday greeting. You will hear it in person as people visit relatives, neighbors, and friends.
Many people now use 端午安康 (duān wǔ ān kāng, wishing you peace and good health) for the Dragon Boat Festival. You may also hear 端午快乐 (duān wǔ kuài lè, happy Dragon Boat Festival). Despite online claims that one is correct and the other is wrong, both are widely used.
Travel and Business Tips for Chinese Public Holidays
Expect slower official and business processing during Spring Festival. Government offices close, bank branch hours change, and tasks that require a person to review or approve them may pause. If you work with manufacturers, ask each supplier for its own shutdown and restart dates; production and dispatch schedules can extend beyond the official nine-day break.
Avoid Spring Festival, Labor Day, and National Day if your priority is quiet sightseeing. Major attractions, trains, airports, and highways are usually busiest around these periods, and accommodation can cost more.
At the same time, a closed factory does not mean daily life has stopped. In large cities, many malls, restaurants, and tourist sites stay open and may be busier than usual. Small and family-run businesses are more likely to close or shorten their hours, especially during Spring Festival.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Public Holidays Are There in China?
Mainland China has seven nationwide public holidays: New Year’s Day, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day. Together they contain 13 statutory holiday days, although weekends and adjusted rest days create longer official breaks.
How Long Was Chinese New Year in 2026?
The official Spring Festival break lasted nine days, from February 15 to 23, 2026. Lunar New Year’s Day was February 17, and the traditional festival season culminated with the Lantern Festival on March 3.
Do Shops and Businesses Close During Chinese Holidays?
Government offices and many corporate workplaces close during official holidays. Factory schedules vary and often extend beyond Spring Festival. Malls, restaurants, and tourist attractions commonly remain open, while smaller businesses may close or adjust their hours. Always check the specific organization rather than relying only on the national calendar.
What Is Golden Week in China?
Golden Week usually refers to the seven-day National Day break beginning October 1. The term is also used for the extended Spring Festival holiday, especially in Chinese travel and retail reporting. Labor Day once created a seven-day Golden Week too, but that arrangement ended when the holiday system changed in 2008.
Plan Around the Calendar
The key is not only knowing when a festival falls, but also checking the full official break and the make-up workdays around it. That is what determines when offices close, when weekend work resumes, and when transport becomes crowded.
For the culture behind the calendar, continue with the guides to Chinese New Year food and red envelope etiquette. You can also join the Stellar Chinese email list for new guides to Chinese culture, language, food, and business.