Each year, China has 7 public holidays enjoyed by all citizens: New Year, the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), the Qingming Festival, Labor Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day. The Spring Festival is the biggest holiday in China.
All official holidays in China in 2021 have come to an end. The next China public holiday will be in 2022 — New Year's Day (Janauary 1). Chinese New Year will fall on February 1, 2022.
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2022 China National Holidays Calendar
| 2022 Date | Public Holiday | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day | January 1–3 |
| February 1 | Spring Festival | January 31 – February 6 |
| April 5 | Qingming Festival | April 3–5 |
| May 1 | Labor Day | April 30 – May 4 |
| June 3 | Dragon Boat Festival | June 3–5 |
| September 10 | Mid-Autumn Festival | September 10–12 |
| October 1 | National Day | October 1–7 |
China Holidays Calendar 2021
Here are the seven China public holidays in a table with their 2021 dates and durations.
| 2021 Date | Public Holiday | Holiday |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | New Year's Day | January 1–3 |
| February 12 | Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) |
February 11–17 |
| April 4 | Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day) |
April 3–5 |
| May 1 | Labor Day | May 1–5 |
| June 14 | Dragon Boat Festival | June 12–14 |
| September 21 | Mid-Autumn Festival (Mooncake Festival) |
September 19–21 |
| October 1 | National Day | October 1–7 |
China’s Festivals and Holidays
Besides the 7 public holidays above, here is a list of other traditional and modern holidays and observances. Learn more on 2022 China Public Holidays.
| 2022 Date | Holiday | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| The fifteenth day of the first lunar month (February 15) |
Lantern Festival | Enjoy lanterns, lantern riddles, eat tangyuan |
| March 8 | Women's Day | All adult females have half a day off. |
| May 4 | Youth Day | Youths aged 14–28 years old have half a day off. |
| June 1 | Children’s Day | Children under 14 years of age have one day off. |
| August 1 | Army Day | Soldiers in service have half a day off. |
| The seventh day of the seventh lunar month (August 4) |
Qixi Festival | Chinese Valentine's Day |
| The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month (August 12) |
Ghost Festival | A traditional festival for ancestor worship |
| The ninth day of the ninth lunar month (October 4) |
Double Ninth Festival | A day for the old — senior citizens’ day |
| December 21 | Winter Solstice Festival | Eat dumplings |
China’s Ethnic Minority Holidays
| Date | Holiday | Ethnic Group | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days 1–15 of month 1 of the Tibetan calendar (Jan. 31 – Feb. 14 in 2022) | Tibetan New Year | Tibetan | Tibet |
| Third day of the third lunar month (Mar./Apr.) (April 3 in 2022) |
Double Third Festival | Zhuang | Guangxi |
| April 13–15 | Water-Sprinkling Festival | Dai | Xishuangbanna |
| 15th day of the third lunar month (Apr./May) | Sisters' Meal Festival | Miao | Guizhou |
| Month 6 day 4 of the lunar calendar (Jun./Jul.) | Naadam | Mongolian | Inner Mongolia |
| Month 6 day 30 of the Tibetan calendar (August 8 in 2021) | Shoton | Tibetan | Lhasa |
| Month 12 day 10 of the Islamic calendar (Sep. 12 in 2021) | Corban | Hui, Uygur, Kazak, and other Muslims | Ningxia, Xinjiang |
| 9th day of the 11th lunar month (Nov./Dec.) | Miao New Year Festival | Miao | Guizhou |
Other China Holidays
- Summer holidays: The summer holiday for most Chinese students run from early July to late August. Many families plan a long journey for a relaxing family vacation during the summer holidays.
- Winter holidays: Like the summer holiday, only students and teachers will enjoy this school holidays. It extends about 15 days before and after Chinese New Year.
- Tourism holidays: Harbin Ice and Snow Festival, Luoyang Peony Festival…
- Western holidays celebrated in China: Only some international schools observe Western holidays such as Christmas and Easter.
Travel Tips for China’s Holidays
- Be prepared for the crowds. Tourist attractions, hotels, and transportation are at their most crowded during public holidays. A private tour can help avoid crowds as much as possible.
- Book tourist attractions, hotels, flights, and train tickets well in advance because the transport system faces significantly increased traffic loads during public holidays.
- Make sure you arrive at the railway station or airport a little earlier than you would otherwise.
- Government offices and banks are shut but they will usually have some staff on duty.
- Some 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.
- During Chinese New Year, most establishments close for up to a week, except for some in the service sector, such as hotels and large restaurants.
Spend Your Holidays with Us
We can help, whether you would like to visit China to experience traditional Chinese festivals or you would prefer to avoid the holiday crowds.
All our tours can be customized. We will create a trip for your vacation according to your group size, time, budget, interests, and other requirements. Contact us to find out more.
Or maybe start from one of our recommended tour itineraries:
