China’s two major holidays are Spring Festival and National Day, during which most of China takes a week off from work and a significant proportion of the population travel within China. If possible, these are generally times to avoid traveling, particularly within China, as airports and train stations are packed. Official holidays are 11 in number but the government allows people to add in preceding weekends, bringing the total to 19 days.

Spring Festival
Generally this is the time when Chinese families, which may be spread across China, get together to celebrate the new year. New Year’s Eve is celebrated with a family dinner followed by conversation and games until the small hours. New Years Day is a time to call on friends and relatives.

The festival depends on the cycle of the moon but usually falls between January 21 and February 20 and lasts for 15 days (3 of which are official public holidays). Many businesses will close for an entire week over Chinese New Year, and many people set off fireworks during this time.

National Day
National day celebrates the founding of the Peoples' Republic of China and is on the 1st October.

Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional Chinese festival held on the 5th day of the 5th month of the Chinese calendar. It has since been celebrated in other parts of East Asia as well. Dragon boat races and competitions are held during the festival.

Moon Festival
The Moon Festival (or Mid-Autumn Festival) is one of the two most important holidays on the Chinese calendar (the other being the Chinese Lunar New Year) and is a public holiday across China – falling usually in mid-to-late September. The holiday's traditional background is to celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season. Most Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn moon, and eat moon cakes and pomelos together.

Return