Chinese Lantern Festival

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 Februry according to the date of the Spring Festival.

Public Holiday Calendar
China has 7 legal holidays in a year, including New Year's Day, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, May Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day. At the festivals, all Chinese people will be on vacation. The table below provides detailed information of 2012 / 2013 public holidays. Hope it can help you make a good plan of your China tour.

2012 / 2013 Major Public Holiday Calendar
Festival	Date	Legal Holidays	Holidays of 2012	Holidays of 2013
New Year's Day	Jan. 1	1 day	Jan. 1 - 3	Jan. 1- 3
Spring Festival	subject to the lunation	3 days	Jan. 23. The  holiday is Jan. 22 - 28	Feb. 10. The  holiday is Feb. 9 - 15.
Qingming Festival	Apr. 4 or 5	1 day	Apr. 4. The  holiday is Apr. 2 - 4.	Apr. 4. The  holiday is Apr. 4 - 6.
May Day	May 1	1 day	Apr. 29 - May 1	May 1 - 3
Dragon Boat Festival	the 5th day of the 5th lunar month	1 day	Jun. 23. The  holiday is Jun. 22 - 24.	Jun. 13. The  holiday is Jun. 13 - 15.
Mid-Autumn Day	Aug. 15 according to the lunar calendar	1 day	Sep. 30. The  holiday is Sep. 30.	Sep. 19. The  holiday is Sep. 19 - 21.
National Day	Oct. 1	3 days (Oct. 1 - 3)	Oct. 1  - 7	Oct. 1  - 7

Besides the 7 legal festivals on which all people can enjoy days off, Chinese people 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 festivals and anniversaries are celebrated even without days off, such as Arbor Day and Teachers' Day.
 Please  refer to the Detailed 2012 / 2013 China Public Holiday Calendar.

Chinese folk art performance in the New Year

Writting Spring Festival Scrolls

Categories of Chinese Holidays
Due to the long history and glorious culture of China, the Chinese people celebrate a great many festivals which can be divided into the following four major categories: national holidays designated by the government to commemorate some special events; traditional festivals - a reflection of the traditional Chinese customs; ethnic minority festivals unique to specific Chinese ethnic groups; tourism festivals associated with renowned Chinese scenic spots. Various holidays show a window through which Chinese culture and daily life can be seen vividly.

National Holidays  New Year's Day  Spring Festival  Women's Day  Qingming Festival  May Day  Children's Day  Dragon Boat Festival  Mid-Autumn Day  National Day

Traditional Festivals  Spring Festival  Lantern Festival  Qingming Festival  Dragon Boat Festival  Double 7th Festival  Mid-Autumn Day  Chongyang Festival  Laba Festival

Ethnic Minority Festival  Water-Splashing Festival  Torch Festival  Knife-Pole Festival  Bullfight Festival  Adult Ceremony  March Fair  Nadam Fair  End of Ramadan  Corban Festival

Tourism Festivals  Harbin Ice & Snow  Festival  Hainan Coconut Festival  Luoyang Peony Fair  Fujian Mazu Festival  Qingdao Beer Festival  Xinjiang Grape Festival  Shaolin Kungfu Festival  Qufu Confucius Festival

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 the two holidays 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 tourist attractions.

Related links:
 Chinese Festival Videos      Free Greeting Cards      Chinese Festival Food
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