China Holidays 2021/2022/2023

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Each year, China has 7 public holidays enjoyed by all citizens: New Year, the Spring Festiva (Chinese New Year), the Qingming Festival, Labor Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day.

China's Holiday Schedule for 2021/2022/2023

China Holidays for Certain People Only

• International Women's Day (March 8): All adult females have half a day off.
• Youth Day (May 4): Youths aged 14–28 years old have half a day off.
• Children&'s Day (June 1): Children under 14 years of age have one day off.
• Army Day (August 1): Soldiers in service have half a day off.

Main Public Holidays in China

1. New Year's Day

Date: January 1st

New Year's Day is one of the public holidays in China and people usually have 3 days off. Although it's not a traditional festival in China, most malls are decorated during this holiday and the shops launch sales promotions.

2. The Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)

Chinese New Year

Date: 1st day in 1st lunar month

The Spring Festival is China's most important festival and holiday. People enjoy a week's holiday for family reunions, and many traditions and activities are pursued during that time.

Chinese New Year 2021 falls on Friday, February 12, 2021, beginning a year of the Ox. China's public holiday will be February 11–17, 2021.

In terms of travel, Chinese New Year is one of the low seasons for tourism, yet it's one of the best times for experiencing Chinese culture.

Read more on the Top 10 Interesting Facts You Didn't Know about Chinese New Year.

3. The Qingming Festival

Date: April 4th or 5th

In China, the Qingming Festival is also called Tomb-Sweeping Day. It's a time for worshipping ancestors and starting to enjoy the greenery of spring. 

• April Weather in China
• The Top 8 Places to Visit in April in China

4. Labor Day (May Day)

Date: May 1st

Chinese people have a 5-day holiday in 2021. This is another peak time for travel during the year.

• May Weather in China
• The Best 10 Places to Escape the Crowds in China Around Labor Day

Recommended tours:

• 6-Day Silk Road (Dunhuang and Zhangye) Photography Tour
• 4-Day Western Sichuan Tibetan Spring Tour from Chengdu
• 5-Day Northern Sichuan Tibetan Tour
• 3-Day Zhongwei Desert Tour with Winery Experience

All our tours can be customized. Contact us to create a trip according to your group size, time, budget, interests, and other requirements.

5. The Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon Boat Festival

Date: 5th day in 5th lunar month

The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, is a traditional cultural festival in China. Chinese people enjoy 3 days off during the Dragon Boat Festival.  See Top 6 Places to Visit in June in China.

Recommended tours:

• 3-Day Kaiping and Foshan Tour
• 2-Day Weekend Getaway to Anji Bamboo Forest
• 3-Day Ancient Villages and Yellow Mountain Tour
• 3-Day Quanzhou Tour with Anxi Oolong Tea Experience

6. The Mid-Autumn Festival

Date: 15th day in 8th lunar month

The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important festival in China. It's also known as the Moon Festival or the Mooncake Festival.

Generally, Chinese people have a 3-day holiday for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Sometimes, when the date is close to the weekend, people can have more days off. People in Hong Kong usually have 1 day off after the Mid-Autumn Festival. In 2021, the Mid-Autumn Festival is falling on Tuesday, September 21st.

7. National Day (Golden Week)

Date: October 1st

Chinese people have a week off in early October each year for the National Day. This is also a peak period for tourism since many people use this holiday to travel with their families. See The 5 Best Places to Visit in October in China.

Recommended tours:

• 5-Day Chengdu, Daocheng, and Yading Tour 
• 7-Day When Silk Road Culture Meets Fabulous Fall Colors
• 4-Day Guilin,Longsheng and Yangshuo Tour
• 6-Day Lijiang to Shangri-La Tour

8. Summer School Holidays (early July to late August)

The summer holidays for most Chinese students run from early July to late August. Many families plan a long journey for a relaxing family tour during the summer holidays. For advice about where to go, see the Top 6 Places You Should Visit in China During Summer.

Recommended summer vacation tours:

• 5-Day Dynamic Guilin and Yangshuo Tour 
• 5-Day Northern Sichuan Tibetan Tour
• 8-Day Qinghai Lake, Zhangye, and Dunhuang Tour
• 6-Day Gannan Pure Land Tour

All our tours can be customized. Contact us to create a trip according to your group size, time, budget, interests, and other requirements.

9. Winter School Holidays (about 15 days before and after Chinese New Year)

Compared to the summer holidays, the winter holidays are in the off-season and people don't travel as much. People are focused on Chinese New Year and family time. It's a great time for interacting with Chinese people and experiencing local culture. See China Winter Travel Guide (Places to Go, Activities, Suggestions).

Recommended winter tours:

• 7-Day Harbin, China Snow Town, and Changbai Mountain Tour  
• 6-Day Beijing Winter Tour — 2022 Olympic Winter Games
• 7-Day Kunming, Dali and Lijiang Winter Tour

Minority Holidays

Besides these holidays, there are four other holidays for particular ethnic citizens and regional residents.

1. The Double Third Festival (third day of the third month of the Chinese lunar calendar): It's a traditional festival for many minorities in China. People in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have 3 days off.

2. The Sisters' Meal Festival (15^th day of the third month in the lunar calendar): The Sisters' Meal Festival is an important festival of the Miao minority in China. It's a celebration of love and spring, and the celebrations usually last for 3 days.

3. The Miao New Year Festival: Different from the traditional Chinese New Year, the Miao New Year is often celebrated after the rice harvest. The dates usually fall on the period from the ninth to the 11th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, and it usually lasts for 5 to 15 days.

4. The Water-Sprinkling Festival (April 13–15): The Water-Sprinkling Festival is a traditional festival of the Dai minority. It falls during the New Year period of the Dai calendar.

Tourism Festivals

What's more, there are many tourism festivals administered by regional governments. For example:

The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (January 5 – February 5) is an annual winter festival in Harbin. It was first celebrated in 1963 and is now the largest ice and snow festival in the world.

Tourism During the Public Holidays

Tourist attractions, hotels, and transportation are at their most crowded during public holidays. Government offices and banks are shut but they will usually have some staff on duty.

Businesses will keep running during the holidays. Most large malls, tourist attractions, public transport, hotels, and restaurants will open as usual, or even stay open longer.

However, during Chinese New Year, most establishments close for up to a week, except for those which are in the service industry, such as hotels and large restaurants.

Travel Tips

• 1. Book tourist attractions, hotels, flights, and train tickets well in advance because the transport system faces significantly increased traffic loads during public holidays. You can use our 1–1 tour planning service.
• 2. If you have travel plans, make sure you arrive at the railway station or airport a little earlier than you would otherwise. We, at China Highlights, can offer an airport transfer service and a train station departure service in most cities.
• 3. Find a professional travel agency and travel advisor to help you plan trips and avoid detours. Unlike many travel agencies who just sell trips, we create unique experiences, which are designed to meet your needs.

Travel China with China Experts

We can help whether you would like to visit China to experience traditional Chinese festivals or you would prefer to avoid the holiday crowds.

Our experienced guides and flexible arrangements will provide you with the best opportunity for a satisfactory tour. Contact us for a unique tailored itinerary.