China Festivals
Chinese festivals refer to the memorial days, celebrations and international festivals recognized by China. National holidays in China, also called public holidays, are: New Year, the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), the Qingming Festival, Labor Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day. Besides, the traditional Chinese holidays and the ethnic minority festivals are essential parts of China Festivals. In addition, there are tourism festivals in China, western festivals in China, etc.
1. National Holidays in China
Each year, China has 7 public holidays enjoyed by all citizens. Each year’s holidays are announced about three weeks before the start of the year by the General Office of the State Council. Weekends are usually swapped with the weekdays next to the actual holiday to create a longer holiday period.
2019 Holiday Schedule of China
| Holiday Name | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| New Year | Dec. 30, 2018-Jan. 1, 2019 | TBA | TBA |
| Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) | Feb. 4–Feb. 10, 2019 | Jan. 24–Jan. 29 | Feb. 11–Feb. 17 |
| Qingming Festival | Apr. 5-Apr. 7 | TBA | TBA |
| Labor Day | May 1 | TBA | TBA |
| Dragon Boat Festival | June 7-June 9 | TBA | TBA |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sep. 13-Sep. 15 | TBA | TBA |
| National Day | Oct. 1–Oct. 7 | Oct. 1–Oct. 7 | Oct. 1–Oct. 7 |
Besides, there are additional holidays for specific social groups such as International Women’s Day, Youth Day, etc.
| Holiday Name | Date | Applicable to |
| International Women’s Day | March 8 | Women (half-day) |
| Youth Day | May 4 | Youth from the age of 14 to 28 (half-day) |
| Children’s Day | June 1 | Children below the age of 14 (1 day) |
| Army Day | August 1 | Military personnel in active service (half-day) |
Main Public Holidays in China
Read more about National Holidays in China.
2. Traditional Chinese Holidays
The traditional Chinese holidays are an essential part of harvests or prayer offerings. All traditional holidays are scheduled according to the Chinese calendar (except the Qing Ming and Winter Solstice days). The most important Chinese holiday is the Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), which is also celebrated in Taiwan and overseas ethnic Chinese communities.
| Holiday Name | Date | Remarks |
| Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) | 1st day of 1st Lunisolar month | Based on Chinese calendar. Holidays last two full weeks up to the Lantern Festival. |
| Lantern Festival | 15th day of 1st Lunisolar month | Based on Chinese calendar |
| April 4 | Qingming Festival(Tomb Sweeping Day) | Based on the Qingming solar term. |
| Dragon Boat Festival | 5th day of 5th Lunisolar month | Based on Chinese calendar |
| Double Seventh Day | 7th day of 7th Lunisolar month | The Chinese Valentine’s Day, based on Chinese calendar |
| Spirit Festival (Ghost Festival) | 15th day of 7th Lunisolar month | Based on Chinese calendar |
| Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival) | 15th day of 8th Lunisolar month | Based on Chinese calendar |
| Chongyang Festival | 9th day of 9th Lunisolar month | Based on Chinese calendar |
| Winter Solstice Festival(Dongzhi) | December 21st, 22nd or 23rd | Based on Chinese calendar |
| Summer Solstice Festival(Xiazhi) | June 21st or 22nd | Based on Chinese calendar |
| Laba Festival | 8th day of the 12th Lunisolar month | Based on Chinese calendar |
Read more about Traditional Chinese Festivals.
3. Ethnic Minority Festivals in China
China is a large country with 55 ethnic minorities. There are public holidays celebrate by certain ethnic minorities in certain regions, which are decided by local governments. All these traditional ethnic minority festivals are regarded as indispensable components of the minorities’ customs.
| Holiday Name | Date | Celebrated by |
| Double Third Festival | the third day of the third lunar month in Chinese calendar | Zhuang, Yao, Dong, Miao, Buyi, etc |
| Water-Splashing Festival | April 13–15 of the Dai calendar | Dai |
| Torch Festival | 24th to 27th of the sixth lunar month | Yi, Bai, Naxi, etc. |
| Nadam Fair | July or August | Mongolian |
| Shoton Festival | 4th of August | Tibetan |
| Lusheng Festival | 27th, 28th, 29th of the ninth month in lunar calendar | Miao |
| Sisters’ Meal Festival | 15th day of the third month in the lunar calendar | Miao |
| Knife-Pole Festival | 2nd day of the second lunar month | Lisu |
| End of Ramadan | The beginning of the tenth month on the Islamic calendar | Hui, Uygur, Kazak, etc. |
Read more about Ethnic Minority Festivals in China.
4. Tourism Festivals in China
In recent years, there are many tourism festivals administered by regional governments, who organize tourism festivals in order to make local scenic locations better known to people.
| Holiday Name | Date |
| Harbin Ice and Snow Festival | January 5 – February 5 |
| Luoyang Peony Fair | April 15 – 25 |
| Qingdao International Beer Festival | the second weekend of August, lasts for 16 days |
| Qufu International Confucius Culture Festival | September 26 – October 10 |
| Huangshan Mountain International Tourist Festival | November |
| Pingyao International Photography Festival | September |
| Shanghai Tourism Festival | September |
| Hainan International Tourism Island Carnival | November |
Read more about Tourism Festivals in China.
5. Western Festivals in China
Many Chinese especially those on the Eastern Seaboard in China who have long contact with the West and Western people are familiar with Western Festivals. No one can have failed to notice the fact that Western festivals are gaining ever-increasing popularity in China. An increasing number of Chinese are fond of celebrating Western festivals today.
| Holiday Name | Date |
| April Fool’s Day | 1st April |
| Saint Valentine’s Day | 14th February |
| Mother’s Day | the 2nd Sunday in May |
| Father’s Day | the 3rd Sunday in June |
| Halloween | 31st October |
| Thanksgiving Day | the 4th Thursday in November |
| Christmas Day | 25th December |
Read more about Western Festivals in China.
6. China Festivals by Months
7. Recommended Festival Tours with Us
Chinese festivals are diverse and rich in content, which is an integral part of China’s history and culture. Join our festival tours to celebrate and experience the real Chinese culture. We have many years of experience in operating Chinese festival tours. Below are some recommended festival tours with us.
2 Days Weifang Kite Culture and Festival Tour
3 Days Harbin Winter Tour Experience with Harbin Ice Festival
3 Days Luoping Rapeseed Flowers Festival Tour from Kunming
4 Days Pingyao International Photography Festival Tour
4 Days Inner Mongolia Naadam Festival Tour with Hohhot Sightseeing
Read more about China Festival Tours.
Wurigong Festival of Hezhen Ethnic Group
Wurigong— Newly-born Festival The “Wurigong” Festival, meaning fun day or sports meeting, is a new holiday created in 1985. It is biennially held in May or June (in the...
Nadun Festival of Tu Ethnic Group
The old carnival—Nadun “Nadun” is the transliteration of the Tu nationality’s language, and means “play”, “entertainment” and “game”, etc. It is a festival of joyfully celebrating harvest of the...
The Paska Festival of Russian Ethnic Group
Most of the traditional festivals of Russian nationality are closely related with the Orthodox Eastern Church believed by them. The religious festivals of the Orthodox Eastern Church are as...
The Bullfighting Festival of Dong Ethnic Group
There are many Dong festivals, of which some are shared with the Han people: Spring Festival, the Mid-autumn Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Tomb-sweeping Day; some are...
Water Splashing Festival of Deang Ethnic Group
De’ang people, followers of Hinayana Buddhism, celebrate several significant festivals each year, including “Jinwa” (Close-the-Door) and “Chuwa” (Open-the-Door), along with the Water-Splashing Festival. Jinwa and Chuwa: These festivals mark...
Long Dragon Banquet Festival of Hani Ethnic Group
“The New Grain Dinner and the Long Dragon Banquet” are two significant cultural events among the Hanis people living around the Honghe River. New Grain Dinner: The Hanis celebrate...
Munao Zongge Festival of Jingpo Ethnic Group
“Munao Zongge” is a grand festival ceremony among the Jingpo people, derived from the Jingpo and Zaiwa languages, meaning “dancing in mass.” It holds significant cultural and historical importance,...
Horse Fighting Festival of Miao Ethnic Group
Rongshui in Guangxi province is a famous inhabiting place for the Miaos. It not only has large population, but also retains on many special living and culture customs, such...
Fresh Flowers Festival of Nu Ethnic Group
Holding memorial ceremony with fresh flowers for the hero On the 15th of third month in every lunar year, Nus in the Gongshan spend joyfully the grand traditional festival—Fresh...
New Rice Festival of Wa Ethnic Group
The Wa nationality is a farming nationality. Their productive forces were low in the past and their capacity of resisting natural disasters was comparatively weak. So many sacrifice offering...
