Home China Guide 2018/2019 Holiday

China Public Holiday Schedule 2018/2019

There are two week-long national holidays in China: Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, in January or February, and National Day holiday, which is the first week of October. See below China's main holidays in 2018/2019:

China's 2018/2019 Public Holiday Calendar

Holiday Name 2018 Date 2018 Days Off 2019 Date 2019 Days Off Summary
New Year's Day Jan. 1 Dec. 30, 2017–Jan. 1, 2018 Jan. 1 TBA The beginning of a new year based on the Gregorian calendar.
Chinese New Year Feb. 16 Feb. 15–21, 2018 Feb. 5 Feb. 4–10, 2019 It is also called Spring Festival, and is the most important festival in China.
Qingming Festival Apr. 5 Apr. 5–7 Apr. 5 TBA Beginning one of the 24 Chinese solar terms in China, it is also called Tomb Sweeping Day, and is for commemorating the dead.
Zhuang Song Festival (Only in Guangxi Province) Apr. 18 April 18–22 Apr. 7 TBA During the festival, people dress up in their most colorful minority costume. The charming dancing and singing always attracts many people.
Labor Day May 1 Apr. 29–May 1 May 1 TBA China's celebration of International Labor Day.
Dragon Boat Festival June 18 Jun. 16–18 Jun. 7 TBA A traditional Chinese festival with activities such as dragon boat racing and eating zongzi (sticky rice wrapped in leaves).
School Holidays Early July to late August School students have a summer holiday for 50 days or so, university students for longer. Popular attractions become more crowded.
Mid-Autumn Day Sep. 24 Sept. 22–24 Sep. 13 TBA A day for Chinese family reunions and a harvest festival in China.
National Day Oct. 1 Oct. 1–7 Oct. 1 TBA The celebration of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Only Hong Kong and Macau have public holidays for Christmas.

HolidayHanging red lanterns is a popular way to celebrate traditional festivals in 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. 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.

How Public Holidays Affect Tourism

Tourist attractions, hotels, and tranportation are at their most crowded on public holidays, government offices and banks shut, but shops and other amenities stay open.

However, at Chinese New Year, most establishments close for up to a week, except those particularly serving travelers, like hotels and large restaurants.

Travel China with China Highlights

If you want to visit China to experience traditional Chinese festivals, or avoid the holiday crowds, we can offer you assistance. View our top 10 China tours, or see our top recommendations for a first tour:

For a unique and personalised experience, you can also contact us for a customized tour.

Related Articles