China Public Holidays 2027: Official Dates and Travel Tips

Quick answer: China's State Council published the 2027 holiday calendar on 5 November 2026. Spring Festival is 5 to 13 February (9 days), Labor Day is 1 to 5 May (5 days) and National Day Golden Week is 1 to 7 October (7 days). Book trains, flights and hotels early for those three periods, or avoid them.

The official notice is 国办发明电〔2026〕10号, "Notice of the General Office of the State Council on Holiday Arrangements for Part of 2027". It was published on gov.cn on 5 November 2026. This page turns it into a travel plan. The dates below are the official ones, not forecasts.

The official 2027 calendar

Holiday	Days off	Length	Make-up work days (these are normal working days)
New Year's Day	Fri 1 Jan to Sun 3 Jan	3 days	None
Spring Festival	Fri 5 Feb (New Year's Eve) to Sat 13 Feb (eighth day of the first lunar month)	9 days	Sun 31 Jan, Sun 14 Feb
Qingming	Sat 3 Apr to Mon 5 Apr	3 days	None
Labor Day	Sat 1 May to Wed 5 May	5 days	Sat 8 May
Dragon Boat Festival	Wed 9 Jun	1 day	None
Mid-Autumn Festival	Wed 15 Sep	1 day	None
National Day (Golden Week)	Fri 1 Oct to Thu 7 Oct	7 days	Sun 26 Sep, Sat 9 Oct

Chinese New Year 2027 itself falls on Saturday 6 February 2027. The Lantern Festival, which ends the season, is on 20 February.

What "make-up work day" means. To create long breaks, the government moves working days from the weekend onto other days. If you plan business meetings, factory visits or government appointments, those make-up Saturdays and Sundays are normal working days. Offices and many schools are open. Tourist sites are also usually open, as on any weekend.

What closes during the holidays

Period	Closed or reduced	Usually open
Spring Festival	Government offices, banks (reduced), many family restaurants, small shops, factories and suppliers, many markets. Some businesses stay shut past 13 February.	Hotels, chain restaurants, malls, convenience stores, delivery apps (slower), major tourist sites, airports and stations
Labor Day, National Day	Government offices, banks (branches vary), schools, factories	Almost all tourism and retail
Qingming, Dragon Boat, Mid-Autumn	Government offices, banks, factories	Tourism and retail

For Spring Festival, expect big cities to feel empty from about New Year's Eve for several days, because many workers travel home. Our Chinese New Year travel guide covers day-by-day what to expect. For banking, you can still use Alipay or WeChat Pay during closures, so cash and branch visits matter less.

Crowding by period

This is practical experience-based guidance, not an official forecast. Official passenger numbers are published after each holiday.

Period	Trains and flights	Tourist sites	Hotel prices
Spring Festival (5 to 13 Feb)	Busiest travel period of the year. The "chunyun" rush usually starts about two weeks before New Year's Eve and runs about a month. Tickets on the busiest days sell out quickly.	Quiet in big cities, busy at temple fairs, and in warm-weather and tourist destinations (Hainan, Yunnan, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macau)	High in leisure destinations, often lower in business districts
Labor Day (1 to 5 May)	Very busy, especially the first and last day	Very crowded at popular scenic spots	High
National Day (1 to 7 Oct)	Very busy for the whole week	The most crowded week for domestic tourism. Major sites can reach daily visitor caps.	Highest of the year in popular cities
Qingming, Dragon Boat, Mid-Autumn	Busy on the first and last day	Busy near cities, short trips	Moderately higher
New Year (1 to 3 Jan)	Busy but short	Busy at city attractions	Moderately higher

Best and worst weeks to travel in 2027

	Weeks	Why
Best	Late March, most of April (except 3 to 5 Apr)	Mild weather, no major holiday
Best	Mid-May to early June, before 9 Jun	Good weather in the north and east, before summer heat
Best	Mid-September to late September (after 15 Sep, before 26 Sep) and 10 to 31 October	Clear autumn weather after Golden Week ends
Worst	1 to 7 October	Golden Week: crowds, high prices, full trains
Worst	22 January to about 20 February	Pre-festival rush, Spring Festival, and slow return
Hard	1 to 5 May	Crowds at every well-known site
Caution	Weeks around 26 September and 9 October	Make-up work days can mix commuters with holiday travelers

See best time to visit China for weather by region. July and August have no public holiday but are school summer holidays, so family travel is busy and heat can be intense.

How to book around the holidays

Trains. Standard tickets on 12306 go on sale about 15 days ahead. Holiday trains can sell out within hours of release. Set an alarm for the release time, have your passport details saved, and see how foreigners buy China train tickets.
Flights. Prices rise sharply for holiday departure and return days. Move your flight one or two days off the peak when possible. Book 6 to 8 weeks ahead for Golden Week and Spring Festival.
Hotels. Choose free-cancellation rates, and compare hotel booking apps.
Attractions. Popular sites such as the Forbidden City require advance reservation with passport details. See how to book attraction tickets. In Golden Week, slots can run out days in advance.
Airports and stations. Allow extra time. On the first and last day of a holiday, expect long queues for security and taxis.

Travel planning for a trip across a visa deadline

If your visit is at the start of 2027, read the China visa-free 2027 guide. The 30-day visa-free entry is currently valid for 48 of 50 countries only to 31 December 2026, and there is no extension announced as of 5 November 2026. Check eligibility with the visa checker.

FAQ

What are the China public holidays in 2027?

New Year 1 to 3 January, Spring Festival 5 to 13 February, Qingming 3 to 5 April, Labor Day 1 to 5 May, Dragon Boat 9 June, Mid-Autumn 15 September and National Day 1 to 7 October. This follows the State Council notice of 5 November 2026.

When is Chinese New Year 2027?

Chinese New Year falls on Saturday 6 February 2027. The official holiday runs from New Year's Eve on 5 February to 13 February, with Sunday 31 January and Sunday 14 February as working days.

When is Golden Week 2027?

Golden Week runs from Friday 1 October to Thursday 7 October 2027. Sunday 26 September and Saturday 9 October are working days.

Is it a bad idea to travel in China during Golden Week?

It is the most crowded week for domestic tourism, with sold-out trains, high hotel prices and heavy crowds. If you must go, book trains and hotels early and consider less visited cities. Otherwise pick mid-October.

Do shops and restaurants close during holidays?

During Spring Festival many small and family-run places close for several days, while hotels, chain restaurants, malls and tourist sites stay open. For the other holidays most shops and restaurants stay open.

Rules and apps in China change often. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at [email protected]. Published November 5, 2026.