Public holidays in China [2025] – calendar of public holidays
If you do business with China or are involved in logistics, you know one thing for sure: Chinese holidays can turn your schedule upside down. It’s a time when factories slow down and transport and contact with business partners can be delayed.
That’s why it’s worth knowing in advance when public holidays fall in China, what the most important holidays are, and what they actually mean in practice.
In this article, you will find a complete calendar of public holidays in China in 2025. This will help you better plan your deliveries and communication with your business partners during Chinese holidays. Because, as the old saying goes, it’s better to be safe than… wait for an email response longer than necessary.
The most important Chinese holidays
Are you wondering which days in China are actually celebrated and free from work? In the Middle Kingdom, not all public holidays have the same significance. Some holidays last a week and bring the whole country to a standstill. Others are celebrated more locally.
In this section of the article, we present the most important holidays in the Chinese calendar that have a real impact on trade and communication with partners from China.
Chinese New Year – a holiday with a global reach
- Date: 29 January 2025
- Holidays: 28 January – 3 February 2025
Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is undoubtedly the most celebrated holiday in China. In 2025, it falls on Wednesday, 29 January, and marks the beginning of the Year of the Snake. Although officially the holiday lasts a week, in practice, much of the country may be shut down for up to two weeks.
It is a time for family gatherings, mass travel, and a complete break in the activities of many companies, warehouses and production plants.
If you work with China, plan your production and deliveries well around January and February, as responses from the other side may take longer than usual during this period.
The celebrations are colourful and spectacular: red lanterns, fireworks displays, lion dances, red envelopes full of money (hongbao) given to each other, as well as the preparation of special dishes and feasting with the family. Symbolism and tradition intertwine with national pride, which is what gives this holiday its global reach and significance.
Lantern Festival
- Date: 12 February 2025
Although the Lantern Festival (yuánxiāo jié) is not a public holiday, it plays an important role in Chinese tradition as it marks the end of the two-week Chinese New Year celebrations. It falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and is sometimes called the Lantern Festival.
On this day, red lanterns light up the streets and houses, and entire cities take on a festive glow. It is a time of joy, hope and good omens for the coming year.
Although the celebrations are more symbolic than formal, the Lantern Festival marks the end of the festive season, so it is worth taking it into account when planning contacts with partners from China.
Chinese Festival of the Dead
- Date: 5 April 2025
- Public holidays: 4–6 April 2025
Chinese Tomb Sweeping Day, also known as Qingmingjie or Tomb Sweeping Day, is one of the most important spring holidays in the Chinese calendar. It has a deep spiritual dimension. It is a time for family gatherings, when the Chinese pay tribute to their ancestors by visiting their graves and tending to their resting places.
The basic ritual involves cleaning the graves together and symbolically burning paper money and objects to ensure the comfort of the deceased in the afterlife.
Despite its solemnity, Qingming also has a warm, spring-like character. After the official part, many families gather for outdoor picnics, go for walks or fly kites, which, according to tradition, helps to connect with the spirits of ancestors and ward off evil forces. It is also an opportunity to prepare traditional dishes.
During the Festival of the Dead, government offices and banks are closed, and the pace of work in many companies slows down significantly. If you are planning logistics operations or contact with contractors during this time, it is worth taking this into account in advance.
Chinese Labour Day
- Date: 1 May 2025
- Public holidays: 1-5 May 2025
Labour Day in China (Láodòngjié) always falls on 1 May because, unlike most traditional holidays, it is based on the Gregorian calendar rather than the lunar calendar.
In 2025, the Chinese will have five days off for this occasion, making it one of the longest spring breaks.
Although the holiday is not associated with any rituals or ceremonies, its impact on the economy and everyday life is noticeable. Most companies, institutions and offices are closed, and many people decide to travel.
Chinese Dragon Boat Festival
- Date: 31 May 2025
- Holidays: 31 May – 2 June 2025
Dragon Boat Festival (Duānwǔjié) is one of the most colourful and spectacular Chinese holidays. In 2025, it will give Chinese residents three days off work.
The holiday commemorates Qu Yuan, a poet, patriot and official who, after losing the trust of the court and being exiled, threw himself into a river in protest. Legend has it that people took to the water in boats to find his body, throwing zòngzi – sticky rice balls wrapped in bamboo leaves – into the water to distract the fish from the corpse.
It is in memory of these events that dragon boat races are held throughout China to this day, and zòngzi have become a traditional dish eaten at this time.
Chinese National Day
- Date: 1 October 2025
- Public holidays: 1–8 October 2025
Chinese National Day (Guóqìngjié) is the most important public holiday in the People’s Republic of China, commemorating its proclamation on 1 October 1949. Every year on this day, the so-called Golden Week begins – seven days of public holidays, which in 2025 have been extended to eight because they coincide with the Mid-Autumn Festival.
During this period, offices, factories and most companies are closed, and millions of Chinese people set off on journeys, both for family gatherings and for tourism.
National Day is also a time of state celebrations – various events are organised throughout China, such as marches, military parades, flag-raising ceremonies and events at the Monuments to the People’s Heroes, especially in Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
From a business perspective, this is a key period of downtime in China, which must be taken into account when planning deliveries, shipments or contact with contractors. Golden Week is not only a time of celebration, but also a real break in the functioning of many links in the supply chain.
Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival
- Date: 6 October
The Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhōngqiūjié), also known as the Moon Festival, is the second most important holiday in China, after Chinese New Year.
The Chinese gather with their loved ones to admire the full moon, which is the brightest and largest of the year on this night. This is accompanied by the eating of traditional moon cakes (mooncakes, yuèbǐng), which symbolise unity and family happiness.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is also an important romantic holiday – couples in love stroll under the moon and exchange gifts.
From a logistical point of view, 6 October falls in the middle of a week off work, so many companies are inactive at this time and business communication may be difficult.
Holidays in China and the import of goods
For someone not involved in the import industry, Chinese holidays may seem like a cultural curiosity. But if your business relies on supplies from China, these dates can have a real impact on your supply chain – and a very noticeable one at that.
During major Chinese holidays, such as Chinese New Year or National Day, companies, factories and warehouses may be closed for several days. This means production downtime, delays in shipments and often a complete lack of communication with Chinese partners.
Even if a company returns to work after a few days, it often takes another week or two to return to full capacity due to mass migration of workers and backlogs.
What should you know as an importer?
- Plan ahead. If your delivery schedule coincides with the holiday period, make sure that orders are placed and confirmed well in advance.
- Take into account the two biggest downtimes. Lunar New Year (January/February) and National Day (October) – during these periods, imports practically come to a standstill.
- Expect delays after the holidays as well. Even after the official end of the holidays, some plants may continue to operate at reduced capacity for several days.
It is also worth remembering that international transport (especially sea transport) experiences increased traffic during this time, which may translate into higher freight rates and longer delivery times.
Therefore, knowledge of Chinese holidays is not only a cultural curiosity, but also a key element of logistics risk management.
Summary
In China, holidays are much more than folklore and tradition – they are real disruptions in production, logistics and business communication.
By knowing the dates and nature of the most important holidays in China, you can better manage your relationships with your trading partners, avoid delays and plan your deliveries more effectively.
In 2025, it is worth paying special attention to Chinese New Year (29 January), Labour Day (1 May) and Golden Week for National Day (1–8 October). During the holidays, business activity slows down significantly and supply chains can be disrupted for up to several days.
Remember – the earlier you plan, the greater the chance that delays during the Chinese holidays will not take your business by surprise.