Public holidays in China

From Vero - Wikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description

{{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}}

Chinese National Day in 2004 at Beihai Park, Beijing

There are currently seven official public holidays in the People's Republic of China.<ref name="cn2025">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="cn2014">Template:Cite web</ref> Each year's holidays are announced about one month before the start of the year by the General Office of the State Council. A notable feature of such holidays is that weekends are usually swapped with the weekdays next to the actual holiday to create a longer holiday period. Generally, by adjusting the adjacent weekends, a "golden week" or a three to five-day "short holiday" is formed.

Festivals in mainland China have been around since the Qin dynasty around 221–206 BC. During the more prosperous Tang dynasty from AD 618–907, festivals involved less sacrifice and mystery to more entertainment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Culminating to the modern era Between the 1920s until around the 1970s, the Chinese began observing two sets of holidays, which were the traditional and what became "official", celebrating the accomplishments of the communist regime.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> There was then a major reform in 2008, abolishing the Labour Day Golden Week and adding three traditional Chinese holidays (Qingming Festival, Duanwu Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival).<ref>Xinhuanet.com "Xinhuanet.com." How will people spend China's 1st Qingming Festival holiday?. Retrieved on 2008-04-04.</ref> From at least 2000 until this reform, the Spring Festival public holiday began on New Year's Day itself. From 2008 to 2013 it was shifted back by one day to begin on Chinese New Year's Eve. In 2014, New Year's Eve became a working day again, which provoked hostile discussion by netizens and academics.<ref name="wsj2013">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="reuters2013">Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref> However, since 2015, Chinese New Year's Eve is usually swapped with nearby weekends so that people need not work on Chinese New Year's Eve.

Overview

Holidays in China are complicated and are one of the least predictable among developing nations. In all these holidays, if the holiday lands on a weekend, the days will be reimbursed after the weekend. The National Holidays and Anniversary Holidays Measures issued by the State Council is the highest administrative regulation for regulating national holidays. The establishment of theme holidays and industry-specific holidays is stipulated by law or approved by the State Council. At present, China's current statutory annual holiday standard is 13 days.Template:Cn

The Chinese New Year and National Day holidays are three days long. The week-long holidays on May (Labor) Day and National Day began in 2000, as a measure to increase and encourage holiday spending. The resulting seven-day or eight-day (if Mid-Autumn Festival is near National Day) holidays are called "Golden Weeks" (Template:Zh), and have become peak seasons for travel and tourism. In 2008, the Labor Day holiday was shortened to three days to reduce travel rushes to just twice a year, and instead, three traditional Chinese holidays were added.Template:Cn

Generally, if there is a three-day or four-day (if Mid-Autumn Festival is near National Day) holiday, the government will declare it to be a seven-day or eight-day holiday. However, citizens are required to work during a nearby weekend. Businesses and schools would then treat the affected Saturdays and Sundays as the weekdays that the weekend has been swapped with. Schedules are released late in the year prior and might change during the year.Template:Cn

The following is a graphical schematic of how the weekend shifting works.

Weekend shifting scheme (since 2014)

Spring Festival

Shift the Saturdays and Sundays nearby to make a 7-day holiday. People may need to work for 6 or 7 continuous days before or after the holiday.

National Day (not near Mid-Autumn Festival)

Shift the Saturdays and Sundays nearby to make a 7-day holiday. The holiday is from 1 to 7 October. People may need to work for 6 or 7 continuous days before or after the holiday.

New Year, Tomb-Sweeping Day, Labor Day (before 2020), Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival (not near National Day)

  • Wednesday: No weekend shifting. The holiday is only 1 day long. This is to prevent people from working for 7 continuous days since 2014. Sometimes shift the Sundays nearby to make a 4-day holiday. People may need to work for 6 continuous days after the holiday.
  • Tuesday or Thursday: Shift the Saturdays and Sundays nearby to make a 3-day holiday. People may need to work for 6 continuous days before or after the holiday.
  • Saturday or Sunday: The public holiday is transferred to Monday.

Labor Day (since 2020)

Shift the Saturdays or Sundays nearby to make a 5-day holiday. People may need to work for 6 consecutive days before or after the holiday.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

List of holidays

Statutory holidays

Name Date Length (without weekends) Remarks Template:Abbreviation
New Year's Day (Template:Zh) 1 January 1 day <ref name="cn2025" />
Spring FestivalTemplate:Efn (Template:Zh) 1st day of 1st Lunisolar month 4 days (Chinese New Year's Eve, 1st, 2nd and 3rd days of 1st Lunisolar month) Usually occurs in late January or early February. The most important holiday, celebrating the start of a new year <ref name="cn2025" />
Tomb-Sweeping Day (Template:Zh) 5 April (4 or 6 April in some years) 1 day Occurs about 15 days after the March Equinox; day for paying respect to one's ancestors <ref name="cn2025" />
Labour Day (Template:Zh) 1 May 2 days International Workers' Day <ref name="cn2025" />
Dragon Boat Festival (Template:Zh) 5th day of 5th Lunisolar month 1 day Usually occurs in June; commemoration of the ancient poet Qu Yuan <ref name="cn2025" />
Mid-Autumn Festival (Template:Zh) 15th day of 8th Lunisolar month 1 day Usually occurs in September; important autumn celebration of harvest and togetherness <ref name="cn2025" />
National Day (Template:Zh) 1 October 3 days Commemorating the formal proclamation of the establishment of the People's Republic of China on 1 October 1949 <ref name="cn2025" />

Additional holidays for specific social groups

In addition to these holidays, applicable to the whole population, there are four official public holidays applicable to specific sections of the population:

Name Date Applicable to Template:Abbreviation
International Women's Day (Template:Zh) 8 March Women (half-day) <ref name="cn2025" />
Youth Day (Template:Zh) 4 May Youth from the age of 14 to 28 (half-day) <ref name="cn2025" />
Children's Day (Template:Zh) 1 June Children below the age of 14 (half-day) <ref name="cn2025" />
Army Day (Template:Zh) 1 August Military personnel in active service (half-day) <ref name="cn2025" />

The closeness of Labor Day and Youth Day resulted in an unexpectedly long break for schools in 2008 - the Youth Day half-holiday entitlement had been largely forgotten because it has been subsumed into the Golden Week.

National holidays and memorial days

Article 5 of the Regulations on National Holidays and Anniversary Days stipulates that "No holidays will be given for February 7th Anniversary, May 30th Anniversary, July 7th Anniversary of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, September 3rd Anniversary of the Victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, September 18th Anniversary, Teachers' Day, Nurses' Day, Journalists' Day, Arbor Day, and other holidays and anniversaries."

Date English name Chinese name Remarks Template:Abbreviation
7 February February 7th Anniversary 二七纪念日 Commemorating the Great Strike of February 7
12 March Arbor Day 植树节 Also known as National Tree Planting Day (Template:Zh) <ref>人大常委会关于植树节的决议（一九七九年二月二十三日通过），人民日报1979年2月24日，第1版</ref>
12 May Nurses Day 护士节 International Nurses Day <ref>庆祝护士节　全市护士今日集会，人民日报1950年5月12日，第3版</ref>
30 May May 30th Anniversary 五卅纪念日 Commemorating the May Thirtieth Movement of 1925
7 July July 7th Anti-Japanese War Memorial Day 七七抗战纪念日 Commemorating the Marco Polo Bridge incident of 1937
3 September Victory Day of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression 中国人民抗日战争胜利纪念日 Honoring the Allied victory over Japan and the end of the Second World War in the Pacific (new holiday established 2014) <ref>人大常委会决定 九月十日为教师节，人民日报1985年1月22日，第1版</ref>
10 September Teachers' Day 教师节 <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
18 September September 18th Anti-Japanese War Memorial Day 九一八抗战纪念日 Commemorating the Mukden incident of 1931
8 November Journalists' Day 记者节 Journalists' Day is celebrated on November 8, the day when the China Youth Journalists Association (the predecessor of the All-China Journalists Association) was founded in Shanghai in 1937. <ref>我国新闻工作者将有自己的节日 十一月八日定为“记者节”，《人民日报》2000年8月11日，第4版</ref>

Other national themed festivals and anniversaries

Date English name Chinese name Establishment Remarks Template:Abbreviation
10 January Chinese People's Police Day 中国人民警察节 2021 110 Police Hotline <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
3 March National Ear Care Day 全国爱耳日 2000 Double ear shape "33"
Last Monday of March National Safety Education Day for Primary and Secondary School Students 全国中小学生安全教育日 1996
15 April National Security Education Day 全民国家安全教育日 2016 Day to enhance the national security awareness <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
24 April China Space Day 中国航天日 2016 The date China's first artificial earth satellite Dongfanghong-1 was successfully launched <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
18 May China Tourism Day 中国旅游日 2011 The opening day of Xu Xiake's Travels
3rd Sunday of May National Disability Day 全国助残日 1991
30 May National Science and Technology Workers' Day 全国科技工作者日 2017 <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
6 June National Eye Care Day 全国爱眼日 1996
2nd Saturday of June China's Cultural Heritage Day 文化和自然遗产日 2006
3rd day of the National Energy Conservation Publicity Week National Low Carbon Day 全国低碳日 2013
25 June National Land Day 全国土地日 1991 The date the Land Administration Law of the People's Republic of China was promulgated
11 July China National Maritime Day 中国航海日 2005 The anniversary of Zheng He's first voyage
8 August National Fitness Day 全民健身日 2009 The opening Day of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
15 August National Ecology Day 全国生态日 2023 <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
19 August Chinese Doctors' Day 中国医师节 2018 <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Autumnal equinox day Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival 中国农民丰收节 2018 <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
3rd Saturday of September National Defense Education Day 全民国防教育日 2001
29 September National Love Teeth Day 全国爱牙日 1989
29 September Civic Morality Promotion Day 公民道德宣传日 2003 The date the Implementation Outline of Citizen Morality Construction was promulgated
30 September Martyrs' Day 烈士纪念日 2014 Honors all the fallen of the country right before National Day, new holiday established in 2014 <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
25 October Commemoration Day of Taiwan's Restoration 台湾光复纪念日 2025 Commemorates the retrocession of and the end of the Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
9th day of the 9th lunar month Senior Citizens' Day 老年节 2013 Double Ninth Festival
9 November National Fire Protection Day 全国消防日 1992 Fire alarm number "119"
2 December National Traffic Safety Day 全国交通安全日 2012 Traffic accident alarm number "122" <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
4 December National Law Publicity Day 全国法制宣传日 2001 The date the Constitution of China was promulgated. Also the National Constitution Day <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
13 December National Memorial Day for the Victims of the Nanjing Massacre 南京大屠杀死难者国家公祭日 2014 Commemorates the victims of the Nanjing Massacre

Other holidays

Template:Main Template:See also

Date English name Local name Pinyin Remarks
2nd day of 2nd Lunisolar month Zhonghe Festival (Dragon Raising its Head) Template:Linktext Template:Lang Based on Chinese calendar
1 July Anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party Template:Linktext Template:Lang Formation of 1st National Congress in July 1921
7th day of 7th Lunisolar month Qixi Festival Template:Linktext Template:Lang The Chinese Valentine's Day, based on Chinese calendar
15th day of 7th Lunisolar month Spirit Festival (Ghost Festival) Template:Linktext Template:Lang Based on Chinese calendar
10 October Wuchang Uprising Template:Linktext Template:Lang Commemoration of the anti-monarch uprising against the Qing which began the Xinhai Revolution
9th day of 9th Lunisolar month Chongyang Festival Template:Linktext Template:Lang Based on Chinese calendar.

Ethnic minorities' holidays

There are public holidays celebrated by certain ethnic minorities in certain regions, which are decided by local governments. The following are holidays at the provincial level.

Date English name Local name Chinese name Pinyin Ethnic groups Remarks
1st day of Tibetan year Losar Template:Bo-textonly Template:Lang Template:Lang Tibetan 7 days in Tibet
30.6 of Tibetan calendar Sho Dun Template:Bo-textonly Template:Lang Template:Lang Tibetan 1 day in Tibet
1.10 of Islamic calendar Eid ul-Fitr Template:Lang Template:Lang Hui, Uyghur and other Muslims 2 days in Ningxia; 1 day in Xinjiang
10.12 of Islamic calendar Eid al-Adha Template:Lang Template:Lang Hui, Uyghur and other Muslims 2 days in Ningxia; 3 days in Xinjiang
3.3 of Lunisolar calendar Sam Nyied Sam Template:Lang Template:Lang Template:Lang Zhuang 3 days in Guangxi

The following are traditional holidays at the prefectural level, and there are more at lower-level divisions, i.e. county-level.

Date Celebrating location English name Chinese name Pinyin Ethnic groups Remarks
6th day of the 6th Lunisolar month Qiannan and Qianxinan Liuyueliu Template:Lang Template:Lang Bouyei 1 day in Qiannan and Qianxinan
8th day of the 8th Lunisolar month Qiannan and Qianxinan Bayueba Template:Lang Template:Lang Miao 1 day in Qiannan and Qianxinan
10th day of the 9th Lunisolar month Dehong Template:Lang Template:Lang Achang 2 days in Dehong
1st day of Tibetan year Dêqên, Garzê, Gannan and Ngawa Losar Template:Lang Template:Lang xīnnián Tibetan 3 days in Dêqên, Garzê, Gannan and Ngawa
24th day of the 6th Lunisolar month Honghe Template:Lang Template:Lang Hani 2 days in Honghe
24th day of the 6th Lunisolar month Chuxiong, Liangshan and Honghe Fire Festival Template:Lang Template:Lang Yi 5 days in Chuxiong, Liangshan and 3 days in Honghe
20 September Nujiang Template:Lang Template:Lang Lisu 3 days in Nujiang
15th day of the 1st Lunisolar month Dehong Manau Festival Template:Lang Template:Lang Jingpo 2 days in Dehong
5th day of the 5th Lunisolar month Wenshan Template:Lang Template:Lang Miao 3 days in Wenshan, often celebrated together with Dragon Boat Festival
13 April Dehong and Xishuangbanna Water-Sprinkling Festival or Songkran Template:Lang Template:Lang Dai 2 days in Dehong and Xishuangbanna
1st day of the 10th Lunisolar month Ngawa Qiang New Year Template:Lang Template:Lang Qiang 5 days in Ngawa
15th to 22nd day of the 3rd Lunisolar month Dali Third Month Fair Template:Lang Template:Lang Bai 7 days in Dali
3rd day of the 3rd Lunisolar month Wenshan Sam Nyied Sam Template:Lang Template:Lang Zhuang 3 days in Wenshan
1st day of the Yi Calendar, often falls in the 10th Lunisolar month Chuxiong and Liangshan Yi New Year Template:Lang Template:Lang Yi 5 days in Chuxiong and Liangshan
1 Shawwal of Islamic calendar Linxia Eid ul-Fitr Template:Lang Template:Lang Hui 3 days in Linxia
10 Dhu al-Hijjah of Islamic calendar Linxia Eid al-Adha or Kurban Festival Template:Lang Template:Lang Hui 3 days in Linxia

In addition, the following autonomous prefectures celebrate their founding date (Template:Zh or Template:Zh). Generally, the government takes one day off to all people working in such prefectures.

Celebrating location Date
Chuxiong 15 April
Dali 22 November
Dehong 23 July
Dêqên 13 September
Enshi 19 August
Gannan 1 October
Garzê 24 November
Liangshan 1 October
Linxia 19 November
Ngawa 2 January
Nujiang 23 August
Qiandongnan 23 July
Qiannan 8 August
Qianxinan 1 May
Wenshan 1 April
Xiangxi 20 September
Xishuangbanna 23 January
Yanbian 3 September

Novel holidays

Some Chinese young adults have begun to celebrate 11 November as the Singles' Day (Template:Zh) because of the many ones (1s) and many singles in the date.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Serfs' Emancipation Day, celebrated on March 28, was established in Tibet in 2009.

See also

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

Template:Reflist

Template:China topics Template:Asia topic Template:PRC Holidays Template:Portal bar

ja:中華人民共和国#祝祭日

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=Public_holidays_in_China&oldid=506089"