China’s Official Public Holidays for 2026: Dates and Travel Planning Guide

China’s State Council has announced the official public holiday schedule for 2026, including New Year’s Day, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day—along with specific workday adjustments. This guide is tailored for international travelers and business visitors to China, helping you avoid scheduling business activities during major holidays and plan time effectively.

2025-12-11

7 min read

Travel & Culture

Official Notice Overview

The 2026 public holiday arrangements were officially announced by the General Office of the State Council on November 4, 2025. The notice details holiday dates and adjusted workdays to facilitate orderly travel and operations.

Official Source: State Council Notice (Chinese)

2026 Public Holiday Dates

New Year’s Day

January 1 (Thu) – January 3 (Sat), 3 days

Spring Festival

February 15 (Sun) – February 23 (Mon), 9 days

Qingming Festival

April 4 (Sat) – April 6 (Mon), 3 days

Labor Day

May 1 (Fri) – May 5 (Tue), 5 days

Dragon Boat Festival

June 19 (Fri) – June 21 (Sun), 3 days

Mid-Autumn Festival

September 25 (Fri) – September 27 (Sun), 3 days

National Day

October 1 (Thu) – October 7 (Wed), 7 days

Adjusted Workdays

New Year’s: January 4 (Sun) is a working day.
Spring Festival: February 14 (Sat) and February 28 (Sat) are working days.
Labor Day: May 9 (Sat) is a working day.
National Day: September 20 (Sun) and October 10 (Sat) are working days.

Planning Tips

Leverage Paid Annual Leave

Combine statutory holidays with paid annual leave to form longer breaks and avoid peak travel periods.

Mind Adjusted Workdays

Plan itineraries around weekend make-up workdays to prevent last-minute schedule conflicts.

Acknowledgments & Resources

Global Holiday Reference

Special thanks to Work Time, a global holiday information portal. They provided the holiday information referenced in this guide and aggregate official public holiday data across countries to help travelers and businesses plan effectively.

For the official Chinese notice, please refer to the State Council Gazette.