China Public Holiday Calendar 2013
China has seven public holidays in a year: New Year's Day, Chinese New Year, Qingming Festival, May Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day.
Among the seven public holidays, four are according to the Chinese calendar; hence the dates will be different each year according to the Gregorian calendar. The following is the calendar for China public holidays in 2013.
| Holiday Name |
2013 Event Date |
Statutory Holidays |
2013 Holiday Dates |
Description of the Festival/Event the Holiday Celebrates |
|
New Year's Day |
Jan. 1 |
1 day |
Jan. 1–3 |
The beginning of a new year based on the Gregorian calendar. |
|
Feb. 10 |
3 days |
Feb. 9–15 |
It is also called Spring Festival, and is the most important festival in China. |
|
|
Apr. 5 |
1 day |
Apr. 4–6 |
Beginning one of the 24 Chinese solar terms in China, it is also called Tomb-Sweeping Day, and is for commemorating the dead. |
|
|
May Day |
May 1 |
1 day |
Apr. 29 – May 1 |
China's celebration of International Labor Day. |
|
Jun. 12 |
1 day |
Jun. 10–12 |
A traditional Chinese festival with activities such as dragon boat racing and eating zongzi (sticky rice wrapped in leaves). |
|
|
Sep. 19 |
1 day |
Sep. 19–21 |
A day for Chinese family reunions and a harvest festival in China. |
|
|
Oct. 1 |
3 days |
Oct. 1–7 |
The celebration of the founding of the People's Republic of China. |
A unique feature of Chinese holidays is that weekends, which are usually days off for office workers, are worked if there is a public holiday that week (one weekend day worked for each weekday of non-statutory holiday). For example if Monday to Wednesday was a public holiday then the weekend before would be worked, if the statutory holiday is only one day.
- In 2013 New Year's Day is a statutory holiday, and with Wednesday (Jan. 2) and Thursday (Jan. 3) produce a three-day holiday. Saturday (Jan. 5) and Sunday (Jan. 6) are working days.
- Chinese New Year is celebrated for seven days, from Feb. 9 (Chinese New Year's Eve) to Feb. 15. The weekend of Feb. 16–17 are working days.
- Qingming Festival 2013 lasts from Apr. 4 to Apr. 6 (Saturday). Apr. 7 (Sunday) is worked.
- Wednesday May 1 is a statutory holiday. Before this three-day holiday, people go to work for the whole weekend (Apr. 27 and Apr. 28).
- Before the Dragon Boat Festival 2013, Chinese people extend the working week till Jun. 9 (Sunday).
- The Mid-Autumn Festival 2013 begins on Sept. 19, and ends on Sept. 21. Sept. 22 (Sunday) is a working day for Chinese people.
- Sept. 29 (Sunday), Sept. 30 (Monday), and Oct. 12 (Saturday) are working days.
The public holidays are peak travel times for Chinese people. China Highlights suggest you particularly avoid these times, in order to miss the worst of the crowds, and benefit from better prices for hotels and air tickets (unless you want to experience one of the above festivals in China). We have summarized the dates to avoid when planning a China tour in 2013 for your reference.
China Highlights' weather information (including weather information for China and major tourist cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guilin, Hong Kong and Xi'an) is also worth considering when planning your time of travel. Browse our well-designed and customizable China tours for 2013. You can contact us to have us tailor-make your own tour of China.
Related Links
- China Holiday Tours
- China Festival Tours: China is a country with many ethnic groups and a rich cultural heritage. These are best seen at festival times.
