China Holidays | Chinese Public Holidays Travel Tips 2024

1. New Year's Day (元旦) : January 1, 2024

New Year's Day, the day of the beginning of the year. Since the Gregorian calendar has been recognized by all over the world, New Year's Day usually refers to the 1st day on the January of the Gregorian calendar every year.

New Year's Day is also a public holiday in China, and it usually has one day off. If it falls on weekend, then the holiday will be extended to 2 ~ 3 days. During the holiday, celebrations will be held all over the country to welcome the New Year, and at this time the traffic can get very congested, so it is advisable to use public transportation if necessary.

2. Spring Festival (春节) : February 10 ~ 17, 2024

The Spring Festival (the Lunar New Year) is the traditional “New Year's Festival”, which is the most important traditional festival in China and also the longest Chinese public holiday.

The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often one month later than the Gregorian calendar. Strictly speaking, the Spring Festival starts every year in the early days of the 12th lunar month and will last till the mid 1st lunar month of the next year. Of them, the most important days are Spring Festival Eve and the first three days. Chinese people have at least seven days off for the Spring Festival.

3. Tomb-Sweeping Day (清明节) : April 4 ~ 6, 2024

Tomb-Sweeping Day is a traditional major Chinese festival. Tomb-sweeping and ancestor-memorizing is an ancient tradition for Chinese people on that day.

Tomb-Sweeping Day is usually around the 5th of April, and is the 15th day after Spring Equinox, which is also one of the 24 seasonal division points in China. Tomb-Sweeping Day is not only a seasonal point to guide farm work, but also a day for commemoration. On each Tomb-Sweeping Day, all cemeteries are crowded with people who came to sweep tombs and offer sacrifices. Traffic will become extremely jammed on that day.

4. Labor Day (劳动节) : May 1 ~ 5, 2024

The Labor Day, as a national holiday in more than 80 countries around the world also including China, is usually set on the 1st day on the May of the Gregorian calendar every year.

Labor Day is known as China's three major Golden Weeks and is the third largest Chinese holiday after the Spring Festival and National Day. The Labor Day holiday is adjusted from the previous 7 days to the current 5 days. Sufficient vacation time and suitable weather make it the peak season for travel, and tourist attractions across the country will usher in peak crowds, and popular scenic spots will limit the number of visitors during the holiday.

5. Dragon Boat Festival (端午节) : June 8 ~ 10, 2024

The Dragon Boat Festival, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, has had a history of more than 2,000 years. It is usually in June in the Gregorian calendar.

Every year around the Dragon Boat Festival, many festival celebrations such as dragon boat racing will be held all over the country, which grand scene often attracts many domestic and foreign tourists to watch. So even though the Dragon Boat Festival holiday lasts only three days, it is often the peak period for China trip.

6. Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) : September 15 ~ 17, 2024

Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the family reunion festival, is a traditional Chinese festival.

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, usually in September in Gregorian calendar. According to Chinese calendar, August is in the middle of autumn, the second month of autumn and 15th is in the middle of August, so it is called “Mid-Autumn”. This day is often the time for Chinese to go home and reunite with family, and transportation such as high-speed trains can be crowded and it will be difficult to book high-speed rail tickets during the holiday.

7. National Day (国庆节) : October 1 ~ 7, 2024

The National Day usually refers to China Golden Week, which is a 7-day holiday in October to commemorate the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

Unlike many other Chinese traditional holidays counted by lunar calendar, Golden Week holiday is usually the fixed period in the first week of October. As it is also close to the Mid-Autumn Festival, if the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on one day in the Golden Week, the Golden Week holiday will be extended to 8 days. During that period, attractions such as Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City and the Great Wall in Beijing will definitely become the hottest destinations in China. Check more about China National Day Holiday Travel Tips.

1. If you are planning a trip to China and want to avoid the crowds, it is highly recommended to avoid the Chinese public holidays schedule list above, which will greatly enhance your travel experience in China.

2. Usually the most crowded time is during the holidays, once the holiday is over or the last few days of the holiday, the flow of people will decline significantly, and this period will be a good time for you to visit China.

3. Once you decide to come to China, confirm your travel time as early as possible and book everything in advance for transportation, accommodation, tickets, etc., as all bookings can be very difficult during the Chinese public holidays, especially during the three Golden Weeks.

Videos about Crowded China Holidays in Golden Week