China Public Holiday Schedule 2018

HolidayHanging 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 2018), 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 2018 Public Holiday Calendar

Holiday Name 2018 Date 2018 Days Off Summary
New Year's Day Jan. 1 Dec. 30, 2017–Jan. 1, 2018 The beginning of a new year based on the Gregorian calendar.
Chinese New Year Feb. 16 Feb. 15–21, 2018 It is also called Spring Festival, and is the most important festival in China.
Qingming Festival Apr. 5 Apr. 5–7 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 Apr. 29–May 1 China's celebration of International Labor Day.
Dragon Boat Festival June 18 Jun. 16–18 A traditional Chinese festival with activities such as dragon boat racing and eating zongzi (sticky rice wrapped in leaves).
Mid-Autumn Day Sep. 24 Sept. 22–24 A day for Chinese family reunions and a harvest festival in China.
National Day 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.

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