China has a handful of long public holidays each year, and during them locals travel as much as visitors do. If you are comparing dates, the calmer, better-value weeks sit just outside these windows. Check the list below before you fix leave.
Make-up workdays confuse first-timers, so we explain those too.
Which holidays matter to tourists?
Here are the 2026 holidays as announced, with the week they affect.
- New Year’s Day ran 1 to 3 January, with Sunday 4 January as a make-up workday[1].
- Spring Festival ran 15 to 23 February, nine days[2].
- Qingming (tomb-sweeping) was 4 to 6 April[3].
- Labour Day ran 1 to 5 May, with Saturday 9 May as a make-up workday[4].
- Dragon Boat Festival was 19 to 21 June[5].
- Mid-Autumn Festival was 25 to 27 September[6].
- National Day Golden Week ran 1 to 7 October, with Saturday 10 October as a make-up workday[7].
Dates change every year. Treat these as the pattern, not the schedule for your trip.
What is a make-up workday, and why does it matter?
To make a holiday longer, China moves a weekend day to a working day. For example, Saturdays 14 and 28 February were make-up workdays around Spring Festival[8]. On those days offices and commuter trains are busy, but sights are quieter.
For you, the main effect is the rush on the evening before a holiday begins and on the last day, when everyone returns. Avoid long train legs on those two days.
How early are the dates for next year known?
Not early. When we checked in October 2026, no State Council notice for the 2027 mainland holiday schedule had been found, and it is normally published in early to mid November[9]. Hold off on refundable-only bookings until it appears.
How should you plan around a holiday?
Decide first whether you want to avoid it or use it. Avoid it for lower prices and shorter queues. Use it for atmosphere, as with lanterns at Chinese New Year or Mid-Autumn.
If you cannot avoid it:
- Book trains the moment they go on sale, which is usually 15 days before departure[10].
- Reserve attractions that need real-name booking, such as the Forbidden City[11].
- Plan fewer cities and keep one buffer day.
Read our guides to May and the Labour Day crush and October and Golden Week for each peak. Then try the pace checker to see whether your route holds up in a crowded week.
What is the next step?
List your leave dates, then mark which Chinese holiday windows they touch. Browse the seasons topic page for the rest of the calendar.