Chinese people legally enjoy over 115 days off including 104 days of weekends and 11 days of festivals. Employees have 5 to 15 days of paid annual leave. Students and teachers have summer and winter vacations for about three months. The summer vacation in China generally starts around July 1st and ends around August 31st, and the winter vacation usually falls on January or Februry according to the date of the Spring Festival.
Public Holiday Calendar
China has 7 legal holidays in a year, including New Year's Day, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, May Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day. At the festivals, all Chinese people will be on vacation. The table below provides detailed information of 2011 / 2012 public holidays. Hope it can help you make a good plan of your China tour.
| 2011 / 2012 Major Public Holiday Calendar |
Festival | Date | Legal Holidays | Holidays of 2011 | Holidays of 2012 |
New Year's Day | Jan. 1 | 1 day | Jan. 1- 3 | Jan. 1- 3 |
Spring Festival | subject to the lunation | 3 days | Feb. 3. The
holiday is Feb. 2 - 8 | Jan. 23. The
holiday is Jan. 22 - 28 |
Qingming Festival | Apr. 4 or 5 | 1 day | Apr. 5. The
holiday is Apr. 3 - 5. | Apr. 5. The
holiday is Apr. 5 - 7. |
May Day | May 1 | 1 day | Apr. 30 - May 2 | May 1 - 3 |
Dragon Boat Festival | the 5th day of the
5th lunar month | 1 day | Jun. 6. The
holiday is Jun. 4 - 6. | Jun. 23. The
holiday is Jun. 22 - 24. |
Mid-Autumn Day | Aug. 15 according
to the lunar calendar | 1 day | Sep. 12. The
holiday is Sep. 10 - 12. | Sep. 30. The
holiday is Sep. 30. |
National Day | Oct. 1 | 3 days
(Oct. 1 - 3) | Oct. 1 - 7 | Oct. 1 - 7 |
Besides the 7 legals festivals on which all people can enjoy days off, Chinese people celebrate four other festivals on which some people have a half day off - Women's Day, Youth Day, Children's Day and Army Day. Many other festivals and anniversaries are celebrated even without days off, such as Arbor Day and Teachers' Day.
 | | Chinese folk art performance in the New Year |
|  | | Writting Spring Festival Scrolls |
|
Categories of Chinese Holidays
Due to the long history and glorious culture of China, the Chinese people celebrate a great many festivals which can be divided into the followingfour major categories: national holidays designated by the government to commemorate some special events; traditional festivals - a reflection of the traditional Chinese customs; ethnic minority festivals unique to specific Chinese ethnic groups; tourism festivals associated with renowned Chinese scenic spots. Various holidays show a window through which Chinese culture and daily life can be seen vividly.
Publish on 09/15/2011 by winsty, 7948 hits.
