Now Shenzhen 现在深圳

Calendar · 节庆

National holidays

China's six public holidays anchor the year. Some empty the city, some pack it. All of them rearrange business hours, travel costs, and the rhythm of daily life. Here's what to expect, when to plan around them, and the editorial coverage we've built up over the years.

The Six · 六大节日

The annual rotation

Six public holidays, six different kinds of city week. Tap any one for the editorial guide.

About · 关于

Why the calendar matters

The shape of the year

China's public holiday calendar rearranges the city around it. Spring Festival hollows Shenzhen out for a week as the migrant workforce heads home — the metro empties, the restaurants close, and the normally-frenetic city pauses. National Day, in early October, runs the opposite play: the city fills with domestic tourists, prices in hotels and venues spike, and every major attraction packs out. Labour Day, Dragon Boat, and Mid-Autumn add three more shorter breaks that punctuate the year.

Lunar vs. Gregorian — why dates move

Three of the major holidays (Spring Festival, Dragon Boat, Mid-Autumn) follow the lunar calendar — they shift by 2–4 weeks each Gregorian year. National Day and Labour Day are fixed. Every December the State Council publishes the official next-year calendar, including the "make-up" working weekends that consolidate the official days off into a contiguous block. That's the canonical reference; if you see different dates in summer, they're a guess.

How to plan around them

For Spring Festival and National Day, book travel 6–8 weeks ahead or skip altogether and stay in town. For shorter breaks, last-minute domestic trips are usually fine but expect crowds. For business scheduling, treat the first three days of any public holiday as essentially unreachable for local suppliers — emails get answered on day four or five. International firms with offshore teams typically run normal operations for foreign clients throughout.

Questions · 答疑

Common questions

  • Which Chinese public holidays affect Shenzhen most?

    Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) is the longest — 7–8 days where most of the city empties as residents travel home. National Day in early October is the second-biggest, also ~8 days off. Labour Day in May and Dragon Boat in late May/early June are shorter but pack the metro and the airport. Plan around these four if you're travelling or scheduling deliveries.

  • How do holidays affect business hours?

    Independent restaurants and small shops in Futian, Luohu and Bao'an often close for the full Spring Festival break. Hotels and international chains stay open — Shekou and Nanshan stay relatively busy thanks to the international community. Banks and government offices observe holidays strictly. Supermarkets and convenience chains (Family Mart, 7-Eleven, Sam's) keep at least one location open per district throughout.

  • When's the worst time to travel in or out of Shenzhen?

    The 'Spring Festival travel rush' (Chunyun) — roughly the 10 days before Spring Festival and 10 days after — sees over 200 million domestic trips. Train and plane tickets sell out weeks ahead, and prices spike 2–3x. National Day week has a smaller but similar effect. If you can travel mid-week before or after the official holiday block, you'll save money and time.

  • Do foreign workers get Chinese public holidays?

    Yes — Chinese labour law applies to anyone working under a local employment contract regardless of nationality. Your employer must give you the official holiday days off (paid). International schools sometimes layer in additional breaks (Christmas, Easter) that aren't statutory but are contractual at those employers.

  • Why do holiday dates shift each year?

    Three of the five major holidays (Spring Festival, Dragon Boat, Mid-Autumn) follow the lunar calendar and therefore shift by ~2–4 weeks each Gregorian year. National Day and Labour Day are fixed Gregorian dates. The State Council publishes the official calendar (with 'make-up' working weekends to consolidate the days off) each December for the following year — that's the canonical source.