China has released the official 2026 public holiday schedule. Headline breaks include a nine-day Spring Festival, a five-day Labor Day, and a seven-day National Day “Golden Week.” Across the year there are 13 statutory public holidays (separate from paid annual leave). As always, China uses adjusted weekend workdays to create long breaks, be sure to note these if you’re planning travel or business operations.
While these dates are set, private companies can adjust their holiday schedules to allow extra days off or designate the weekend before holidays as working days. The only requirement is that the official holiday dates must be observed.
China’s official public holiday schedule for 2026
With this in hand, you can be sure to get the right dates to plan your next holiday trip(s) in advance!
|
Holiday |
Holiday dates |
Day(s) off & Make-up day(s) |
|
New Year's Day |
Jan 1–3 (Thu–Sat) |
3 Days Off Sun Jan 4 workday |
|
Spring Festival |
Feb 15–23 (Sun–Mon) |
9 Days Off Sat Feb 14, Sat Feb 28 workdays |
|
Qingming Festival |
Apr 4–6 (Sat–Mon) |
3 Day Off |
|
Labor Day |
May 1–5 (Fri–Tue) |
5 Days Off Sat May 9 workday |
|
Dragon Boat Festival |
Jun 19–21 (Fri–Sun) |
3 Days Holiday |
|
Mid-Autumn Festival |
Sep 25–27 (Fri–Sun) |
3 Days Off |
|
National Day |
Oct 1–7 (Thu–Wed) |
7 Days Off Sun Sep 20, Sat Oct 10 workdays |
Planning tips for 2026
- Book early for Spring Festival (Feb 15–23) and National Day (Oct 1–7), these are peak travel periods with sold-out trains/flights and higher prices.
- Align HR, payroll, and client communications with the make-up workdays listed above to avoid scheduling conflicts.
- Companies may add internal rest days or shift internal schedules, but the official dates must be observed.
