China Public Holiday Schedule 2017/2018
Hanging red lanterns is an important celebration way during festivals in China.
There are seven official holidays in China. Five of these are three-day holidays. There are two week-long national holidays in China: Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, in January or February (click to see when is Chinese New Year 2017), and National Day holiday, which is the first week of October.
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. For example if Monday to Wednesday was a public holiday then the weekend before would be worked, so the statutory holiday is effectively only one day.
Only Hong Kong and Macau have public holidays for Christmas.
China's 2017 and 2018 Public Holiday Calendar
| Holiday Name | Statutory Days of Holiday | 2017 Date | 2017 Days Off (TBC) | 2018 Date | 2018 Days Off (TBC) | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | 1 day | Jan. 1 | Dec. 31– Jan.2 | Jan. 1 | Dec. 30 – . 1–3 | The beginning of a new year based on the Gregorian calendar. |
| Chinese New Year | 3 days | Jan. 28 | Jan. 27– Feb. 2 | Feb. 16 | Feb. 15 – 21. 2 | It is also called Spring Festival, and is the most important festival in China. |
| Qingming Festival | 1 day | Apr. 4 | Apr. 2–4 | Apr. 5 | Apr. 5 | 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 | 1 day | May 1 | Apr 29 – May 1 | May 1 | Apr. 29 – May 1 | China's celebration of International Labor Day. |
| Dragon Boat Festival | 1 day | May. 30 | May. 28–30 | June 18 | June 16 –18 | A traditional Chinese festival with activities such as dragon boat racing and eating zongzi (sticky rice wrapped in leaves). |
| Mid-Autumn Day | 1 day | Oct. 4 | Oct. 4 (within the National Day holiday) | Sep. 24 | Sep. 22 – 24 | A day for Chinese family reunions and a harvest festival in China. |
| National Day | 3 day | Oct. 1 | Oct. 1 – 7 (be prolonged to Oct. 8) | Oct. 1 | Oct. 1 – 7 | The celebration of the founding of the People's Republic of China. |
Touring China with China Highlights
If you want to visit China to experience the traditional Chinese festivals, China Highlights can offer you assistance. Contact us and we will arrange an unforgettable tour for you.
See our most recommended China tours:
- 11-Day Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin/Yangshuo, and Shanghai Private Tour: the Most Popular China Tour
- 13-Day Beijing, Xi'an, Guilin/Yangshuo, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Shanghai Private Tour: the Classic China Tour
