China Holidays in 2026, A Full List Is Here!

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.

The next China public holiday is New Year's Day. It falls on February 17, 2026. There will be a 4-day holiday along with the weekend. If you want to travel during the holiday, just contact us.

2026 China Public Holidays Calendar

2026 Date Holiday Name Holiday Remarks
Jan. 1   New Year's Day   Jan. 1      
Feb. 17   Spring Festival   Feb. 16 –23   Chinese New Year, China's biggest festival  
Apr. 5   Qingming Festival   Apr. 4–6   Tomb Sweeping Day  
May 1   Labor Day   May 1–5   A 'golden week' for tourism  
Jun. 19   Dragon Boat Festival   Jun. 19–21   People eat sticky rice dumplings and attend dragon boat races.  
Sep. 25   Mid-Autumn Festival   Sep. 25–27   Mooncake Festival  
Oct. 1   National Day   Oct. 1–7   Another 'golden week' for tourism  

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7 Major Chinese Holidays

Chinese people celebrate the following seven major public holidays each year.

1. New Year's Day

New Year's Day is one of the public holidays in China and people usually have 3 days off. Although it's not a traditional festival in China, most malls are decorated during this holiday and the shops launch sales promotions.

2. The Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)

The Spring Festival is China's most important festival and holiday. People enjoy a week's holiday for family reunions, and many traditions and activities are pursued during that time.

Chinese New Year 2026 will fall on Saturday, February 17, starting a year of the Horse.

In terms of travel, Chinese New Year is one of the low seasons for tourism, yet it's one of the best times for experiencing Chinese culture.

3. The Qingming Festival

In China, the Qingming Festival is also called Tomb-Sweeping Day. Chinese people enjoy 3 days off. It's a time for worshipping ancestors and starting to enjoy the greenery of spring.

4. Labor Day (May Day)

Chinese people have a 5-day holiday in Labor Day. This is one of the peak time for travel during the year.

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5. The Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, is a traditional cultural festival in China. There are 3 days off for Chinese people.

Some of the most traditional customs include dragon boat racing, eating sticky rice dumplings (zongzi), hanging Chinese mugwort and calumus, drinking realgar wine, and wearing perfume pouches.

6. The Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important festival in China. People usually have 3 days off.

It's also known as the Moon Festival or the Mooncake Festival. Some of the most traditional customs include family gatherings, admiring the full moon, eating mooncakes, and lantern lighting.

7. National Day (Golden Week)

Chinese people have a week off in early October each year for the China National Day. This is also a peak period for tourism since many people use this holiday to travel with their families.

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Other China Festivals and Holidays 2026

Besides the seven public holidays above, other traditional and modern holidays and observances include:

2026 Date Holiday Remarks
Mar. 3   Lantern Festival   Lanterns decorations, lantern riddles, eating tangyuan (sweet sticky rice balls)  
TBC   Tibetan New Year   One of the grandest festivals in Tibet  
Mar. 8   Women's Day   All adult females have half a day off.  
Apr. 19   Double Third Festival   People in Guangxi have 2 days off.  
May 4   Youth Day   Youths aged 14–28 years old have half a day off.  
Jun. 1   Children's Day   Children under 14 years of age have one day off.  
Aug. 1   Army Day   Soldiers in service have half a day off.  
Aug. 19   Qixi Festival   Chinese Valentine's Day  
Aug. 27   Ghost Festival   A traditional festival for ancestor worship  
Oct. 18   Double Ninth Festival   A day for the old — senior citizens' day  

Chinese Golden Week Holidays

China National Day, Spring Festival and Labor Day holidays are three 'golden weeks' in China. They are the three longest holidays in China: 7 days off each for China National Day and the Spring Festival, and 5 days for Labor Day.

Long holidays boost the tourism industry. Prices of flights and hotel rooms soar during the 'golden weeks' — hence their name. Crowds are expected at popular tourism spots. If you are planning a trip during a 'golden week', we recommend booking in advance and choosing less-traveled destinations.

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Tips for China's Holidays

Government offices and banks are shut on the public holidays 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.

Plan Your 2026 Holiday Trip

If you are planning a trip for your 2026 holiday, you can contact us. 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.

Or maybe start from one of our recommended tour itineraries:

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