{"id":28835,"date":"2025-11-05T22:38:36","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T22:38:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/?p=28835"},"modified":"2026-04-27T20:00:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T20:00:08","slug":"china-holidays-festivals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/china-holidays-festivals\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese Public Holidays in 2026: Dates and Celebrations"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"28835\" class=\"elementor elementor-28835\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d192273 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"d192273\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3fdaa71 key-takeaways elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3fdaa71\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Key Takeaways<\/h3><ul><li>China observes seven official public holidays each year, with several lasting multiple days<\/li><li>In 2026 the public holidays are New Year&#8217;s Day, Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day), Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day.<\/li><li>It is crucial that employers account for the extra cost and scheduling to account for China public holidays.<\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8bb1c2c e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"8bb1c2c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-74b628c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"74b628c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p data-start=\"221\" data-end=\"501\">China has officially released its public holiday schedule for 2026, maintaining the extended \u201cGolden Week\u201d structure introduced in recent years while optimizing holiday placement to promote domestic tourism, cultural activities, and a better balance between work and leisure.<\/p><p data-start=\"503\" data-end=\"835\">The 2026 schedule continues to include two major week-long holidays \u2014 the Spring Festival and National Day \u2014 and several three-day public holidays spread throughout the year. The adjustments are designed to keep continuous work periods short while aligning long breaks with weekends to maximize rest time and travel opportunities.<\/p><p data-start=\"837\" data-end=\"879\">Find out more about these updates below:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ef64c20 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ef64c20\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><strong>Key Changes in the 2026 Public Holiday Schedule<\/strong><\/h2><h3>1. Extended Spring Festival Holiday<\/h3><p data-start=\"984\" data-end=\"1059\"><strong data-start=\"984\" data-end=\"997\">Duration:<\/strong>\u00a09 days (February 15 to February 23, 2026)<br data-start=\"1039\" data-end=\"1042\" \/><strong data-start=\"1042\" data-end=\"1057\">Highlights:<\/strong><\/p><ul data-start=\"1060\" data-end=\"1403\"><li data-start=\"1060\" data-end=\"1154\"><p data-start=\"1062\" data-end=\"1154\">The holiday begins on Spring Festival Eve and covers the first week of the Lunar New Year.<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"1155\" data-end=\"1253\"><p data-start=\"1157\" data-end=\"1253\">Adjusted working days will be held on Saturday, February 14th, and Saturday, February 28th, to create a continuous break.<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"1254\" data-end=\"1403\"><p data-start=\"1256\" data-end=\"1403\">This placement ensures the Spring Festival remains China\u2019s longest and most significant holiday, encouraging family reunions and domestic travel.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><h3>2. Labor Day Holiday<\/h3><p data-start=\"1433\" data-end=\"1501\"><strong data-start=\"1433\" data-end=\"1446\">Duration:<\/strong>\u00a05 days (May 1 to May 5, 2026)<br data-start=\"1481\" data-end=\"1484\" \/><strong data-start=\"1484\" data-end=\"1499\">Highlights:<\/strong><\/p><ul data-start=\"1502\" data-end=\"1776\"><li data-start=\"1502\" data-end=\"1615\"><p data-start=\"1504\" data-end=\"1615\">Labor Day continues to be observed as a multi-day holiday, likely extended with adjacent weekend adjustments.<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"1616\" data-end=\"1691\"><p data-start=\"1618\" data-end=\"1691\">Working-day swaps will be arranged to maintain balanced schedules, with an adjusted working day scheduled for Saturday, May 9.<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"1692\" data-end=\"1776\"><p data-start=\"1694\" data-end=\"1776\">The holiday supports domestic consumption and short-distance tourism activities.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><h3>3. National Day Holiday<\/h3><p data-start=\"1825\" data-end=\"1896\"><strong data-start=\"1825\" data-end=\"1838\">Duration:<\/strong> 7 days (October 1 to October 7, 2026).<br data-start=\"1876\" data-end=\"1879\" \/><strong data-start=\"1879\" data-end=\"1894\">Highlights:<\/strong><\/p><ul data-start=\"1897\" data-end=\"2198\"><li data-start=\"1897\" data-end=\"1991\"><p data-start=\"1899\" data-end=\"1991\">The National Day \u201cGolden Week\u201d remains one of the most important public holidays in China.<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"1992\" data-end=\"2118\"><p data-start=\"1994\" data-end=\"2118\">For a continuous break, adjusted working days are scheduled for Sunday, September 20th, and Saturday, October 10th.<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"2119\" data-end=\"2198\"><p data-start=\"2121\" data-end=\"2198\">Extended travel and leisure activity are anticipated during this festival.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><h3>4. Mid-Autumn Festival<\/h3><div><strong data-start=\"1825\" data-end=\"1838\">Duration:<\/strong> 3 days (September 25 to September 27, 2026).<br data-start=\"1876\" data-end=\"1879\" \/><strong data-start=\"1879\" data-end=\"1894\">Highlights:<\/strong><\/div><div><ul data-start=\"1897\" data-end=\"2198\"><li data-start=\"1897\" data-end=\"1991\"><p data-start=\"1899\" data-end=\"1991\">Also known as the Moon Festival, symbolizes family reunion and harmony, with gatherings to share mooncakes and admire the full moon.<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"1992\" data-end=\"2118\"><p data-start=\"1994\" data-end=\"2118\">This festival is also celebrated in countries like Singapore, Malaysia and the U.S.<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"2119\" data-end=\"2198\"><p data-start=\"2121\" data-end=\"2198\">Retail sales of festive foods, gifts, and travel packages typically rise during this period.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><\/div><h3>5. Other Public Holidays<\/h3><p>New Year\u2019s Day, Qingming Festival, and Dragon Boat Festival each provide a 3-day break, including adjacent weekends.<br data-start=\"2348\" data-end=\"2351\" \/>When a holiday falls midweek, only that single day is observed.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a56f319 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a56f319\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><strong>Why Were the Holidays Changed in 2026?<\/strong><\/h2><p data-start=\"2470\" data-end=\"2858\">The 2026 adjustments reflect ongoing efforts to improve work-life balance while maintaining economic productivity. Authorities continue to limit long continuous work periods to six days before or after major holidays. The government\u2019s scheduling strategy aims to boost consumer confidence and tourism while ensuring employers can plan staffing and production schedules more efficiently.<\/p><p data-start=\"2860\" data-end=\"3078\">Public sentiment toward the optimized holiday pattern remains positive, as it promotes family gatherings and supports the cultural importance of traditional festivals like the Lunar New Year and Dragon Boat Festival.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dadb571 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"dadb571\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 data-start=\"837\" data-end=\"879\"><strong>What Do the Changes Mean for Businesses and Employees?<\/strong><\/h2><p data-start=\"3147\" data-end=\"3197\">For employers, the 2026 holiday structure means:<\/p><ul data-start=\"3199\" data-end=\"3933\"><li data-start=\"3199\" data-end=\"3334\"><p data-start=\"3201\" data-end=\"3334\"><strong data-start=\"3201\" data-end=\"3227\">Adjusted Working Days:<\/strong> Selected weekends will again be designated as <a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/working-hours-china\/\">official working days <\/a>to compensate for extended holidays.<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"3335\" data-end=\"3490\"><p data-start=\"3337\" data-end=\"3490\"><strong data-start=\"3337\" data-end=\"3362\">Operational Planning:<\/strong> Businesses should align production and payroll cycles with the confirmed State Council holiday notice to minimize disruption.<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"3491\" data-end=\"3747\"><p data-start=\"3493\" data-end=\"3514\"><strong data-start=\"3493\" data-end=\"3512\">Overtime Rules:<\/strong><\/p><ul data-start=\"3517\" data-end=\"3747\"><li data-start=\"3517\" data-end=\"3614\"><p data-start=\"3519\" data-end=\"3614\">Employees working on statutory holidays must be paid at least <strong data-start=\"3581\" data-end=\"3589\">300%<\/strong> of their regular wage.<\/p><\/li><li data-start=\"3617\" data-end=\"3747\"><p data-start=\"3619\" data-end=\"3747\">Work performed on adjusted rest days should be compensated at <strong data-start=\"3681\" data-end=\"3689\">200%<\/strong> of regular pay if no compensatory time off is provided.<\/p><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li data-start=\"3748\" data-end=\"3933\"><p data-start=\"3750\" data-end=\"3933\"><strong data-start=\"3750\" data-end=\"3774\">Regional Variations:<\/strong> Overtime and scheduling policies may vary depending on local labor authorities and the company\u2019s working hour system (standard, comprehensive, or flexible).<\/p><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4cf1604 elementor-position-left elementor-vertical-align-middle elementor-position-top speak-expert-new elementor-widget elementor-widget-image-box\" data-id=\"4cf1604\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image-box.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-image-box-wrapper\"><figure class=\"elementor-image-box-img\"><a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/contact\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shanghai-china.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-21671\" alt=\"Shanghai China\" srcset=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shanghai-china.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shanghai-china-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/shanghai-china-768x432.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><div class=\"elementor-image-box-content\"><div class=\"elementor-image-box-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/contact\/\">Public Holiday &amp; Overtime Compliance in China<\/a><\/div><p class=\"elementor-image-box-description\">China\u2019s holiday arrangements directly affect payroll, overtime, and workforce planning. MSA helps businesses apply statutory holiday rules correctly, calculate overtime pay, and stay compliant with local labour regulations.\n<span>Message &nbsp;\u2192<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5945cdc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5945cdc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><strong>2026 Public Holiday Calendar Overview<\/strong><\/h2>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8e4e349 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"8e4e349\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<table style=\"width: 100%;border-collapse: collapse;text-align: left\"><thead><tr style=\"background-color: #f2f2f2\"><th style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">Holiday<\/th><th style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">Dates (2026)<\/th><th style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">\u00a0Notes<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">New Year\u2019s Day<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">January 1 \u2013 January 3<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">Three rest days\u00a0<br \/><strong>Adjusted working day:<\/strong> <br \/>Sunday, January 4<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">Spring Festival\/ Chinese New Year<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">February 15 \u2013 February 23<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">In total, 9 rest days.<br \/><strong>Adjusted working days:<br \/><\/strong>Saturday, February 14 and Saturday, February 28<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">Qingming Festival<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">April 4 \u2013 April 6<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">Three rest days (in connection with the weekend)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">Labor Day<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">May 1 \u2013 May 5<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">Five rest days in total.<br \/><strong>Adjusted working day:<br \/><\/strong>Saturday, May 9<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">Dragon Boat Festival<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">June 19 \u2013 June 21<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">Three rest days\u00a0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">Mid-Autumn Festival<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">September 25 \u2013 September 27<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">Three rest days\u00a0<\/td><\/tr><tr><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">National Day<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">October 1 \u2013 October 7<\/td><td style=\"padding: 10px;border: 1px solid #ddd\">Seven rest days in total<br \/><strong>Adjusted working days:<br \/><\/strong>Sunday, September 20 and Saturday, October 10<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-efdd30b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"efdd30b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Holiday schedules determine factory closures, staff availability, and customer responsiveness\u2014but holiday periods vary by company and region, creating operational friction if not anticipated properly. Customer contact during holiday weeks produces delayed responses. <a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/service\/hr-payroll\/\">HR &#038; payroll<\/a> calendars align staff planning with regional holiday schedules and closures. MSA Asia keeps your team coordinated across holidays. <a href=\"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/contact\/\">Contact our team<\/a> to align your holiday planning.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways China observes seven official public holidays each year, with several lasting multiple days In 2026 the public holidays are New Year&#8217;s Day, Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day), Labor Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day. It is crucial that employers account for the extra cost and scheduling [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":31258,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"iawp_total_views":65707,"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hr-payroll"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28835"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28835\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47322,"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28835\/revisions\/47322"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/msadvisory.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}