Complete schedule of Chinese public holidays with exact dates, durations, and travel tips.
Chinese New Year 2026 falls on Tuesday, February 17. It is the Year of the Horse. The official holiday runs February 16-22. The Chunyun travel period starts around February 3 and lasts 40 days.
The two Golden Weeks — Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb) and National Day (Oct 1-7) — are the busiest. The May 1 Labor Day holiday (5 days) is also extremely crowded. Avoid travel on the first and last days of each holiday.
During Chinese New Year, many small shops and family restaurants close for 3-7 days. Major malls, chain restaurants, and tourist attractions stay open. Other holidays have minimal business disruption.
China creates longer holiday breaks by scheduling adjacent weekends as workdays. For example, if a holiday is Tuesday-Thursday, the preceding Sunday and following Saturday may be designated as workdays to create a continuous break. Check the official schedule for exact dates.
Banks, post offices, and government offices are closed on public holidays. ATMs and mobile payments (WeChat Pay, Alipay) work normally. Plan visa applications and official business outside holiday periods.