Holidays in China
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The Chinese people legally enjoy over 115 days off including 104 days of weekends and 11 days of festivals. Employees have 5 to 15 days of paid annual leave. Students and teachers have summer and winter vacations for about three months. The summer vacation in China generally starts around July 1st and ends around August 31st, and the winter vacation usually falls on January or February according to the date of the Spring Festival.
Public Holiday Calendar
China has seven legal holidays in a year, including New Year's Day, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, May Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Day and National Day. The table below provides detailed information of 2013 / 2014 / 2015 public holidays. Hope it can help you make a good plan of your China tour.
| 2013 / 2014 / 2015 Major Public Holiday Calendar | |||||
| Name | Date | Legal Holidays | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| New Year's Day | Jan. 1 | 1 day | Jan. 1 - 3 | Jan. 1 - 3 | Jan. 1 - 3 |
| Spring Festival | subject to | 3 days | Feb. 10 | Jan. 31 | Feb. 19 |
| Qingming | Apr. 4 or 5 | 1 day | Apr. 4 | Apr. 5 | Apr. 5 |
| May Day | May 1 | 1 day | Apr. 29 - May 1 | May 1 - 3 | May 1 - 3 |
| Dragon Boat | 5th of 5th | 1 day | Jun. 12 | Jun. 2 | Jun. 20 |
| Mid-Autumn Day | Aug. 15 of | 1 day | Sep. 19 | Sep. 8 | Sep. 27 |
| National Day | Oct. 1 | 3 days | Oct. 1 - 7 | Oct. 1 - 7 | Oct. 1 - 7 |
At the above seven festivals, Chinese people can enjoy days off. Besides, they celebrate four other festivals on which some people have a half day off - Women's Day, Youth Day, Children's Day and Army Day. Many other galas and anniversaries are celebrated even without days off, such as Arbor Day and Teachers' Day.
Please refer to the Detailed 2013 / 2014 / 2015 China Public Holiday Calendar.
Major Chinese Holidays
Due to the long history and glorious culture of the country, the Chinese people celebrate a great many festivals. Various festivities show a window through which the local culture and daily life can be seen vividly. The following are the ten major ones:
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More Festivals in Different Categories:National Holidays: New Year's Day, Women's Day, May Day, Children's Day...
Traditional Festivals: Spring Festival, Qingming, Dragon Boat, Mid-Autumn Day, Chongyang...
Ethnic Minority Festivals: Water-Splashing, March Fair, Nadam Fair, End of Ramadan, Corban...
Tourism Festivals: Harbin Ice & Snow Gala, Luoyang Peony Fair...
The civil service departments such as the govement offices, embassies and schools are closed on the legal holidays. Elementary public service establishments like the public transport system run normally to facilitate the locals and visitors on their basic living and travel; however, please note that the banks and post offices only have their major branches opened on holidays, so it is better to go to those branches in the preosperous business districts in big cities, or arrange your money and post matters in advance. Most of the hospitals run during holidays, but maybe only the basic deparments are available, without some famous specialists.
Business establishments acturally flourish during holidays, so there’s no need to worry about the shopping, dining, entertainment. Some shopping malls, shops, supermarkets and restaurants have promotions and discounts on festivals, and some even extend their opening time. On the Chinese New Year, the grandest occasion for family reunion of the year, some personal shops and small restaurants are closed.
Tips for Traveling in 'Golden Weeks'Among all the Chinese holidays, there are two 'Golden Weeks' - Spring Festival Week and National Day Week. Both of them last for three days but by combining two weekends with them, people benefit from seven consecutive days off. During these two weeks, most people go out and enjoy themselves in a great variety of ways with a resultant boost to the economy, hence the nickname 'Golden Week'. Hotel rooms, train tickets or air tickets will definitely be in great demand then. Therefore, we recommend that people who are planning China tour packages avoid these Golden Weeks in view of the huge crowds that gather at the major attractions.
Related links:
Chinese Festival Videos 
Free Greeting Cards 
Chinese Festive Food China Festival Tours Christmas in China Holidays in Hong Kong Time Difference Business Hours
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