Each year, China has 7 public holidays enjoyed by all citizens: New Year, the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), the Qingming Festival, Labor Day, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day.

Last December, the State Council released the official China public holiday 2023 schedule. Like every year, the holiday schedule includes two major week-long holidays (referred to as ‘Golden Week’): Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) and the National Day holiday.

The Spring Festival is China's most important festival and holiday. People enjoy a week's holiday for family reunions, and many traditions and activities are pursued during that time.

In terms of travel, Chinese New Year is one of the low seasons for tourism, yet it's one of the best times for experiencing Chinese culture.

In 2023, Spring Festival falls between January 21 and January 27, and the National Day holiday falls between September 29 and October 6, with the Mid-Autumn Festival happening during the same period.

Chinese people have a 5-day holiday in Labor Day (May Day). This is one of the peak times for travel during the year.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or the Mooncake Festival, is the second most important event in China and workers have 3 days off. Some of the most traditional customs during this celebration include family gatherings, admiring the full moon, eating mooncakes, and lantern lighting.

Foreign companies operating in China should plan their calendars accordingly. Human resources departments should take into account that Saturdays and Sundays are often marked as additional official workdays in China to compensate for long holiday breaks.

In 2023, Saturday, January 28 and Sunday, January 29, are designated as official workdays to partially offset the seven days off for Spring Festival. Saturday, October 7 and Sunday, October 8, are considered official workdays to compensate for seven days off for the National Day holiday, resulting in two 7-working days weeks.

Additional days off can be scheduled by private companies in China, as long as the official holiday calendar is respected.

The following list enumerates the 2023 official public holiday schedule in China:

New Year, December 31, 2022, to January 2, 2023

Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), January 21 to 27, 2023 (seven days; Saturday to Friday)

Adjusted working days: January 28, 2023 (Saturday) and January 29, 2023 (Sunday)

Tomb Sweeping Festival (Ching Ming Festival), April 5, 2023 (one day; Wednesday)

Labor Day, April 29 to May 3, 2023 (five days; Saturday to Wednesday)

Adjusted working days: April 23, 2023 (Sunday) and May 6, 2023 (Saturday)

Dragon Boat Festival, June 22 to 24, 2023 (three days; Thursday to Saturday)

Adjusted working days: June 25, 2023 (Sunday)

Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day, September 29 to October 6, 2023 (eight days; Friday to Friday)

Adjusted working days: October 7, 2023 (Saturday) and October 8, 2023 (Sunday)

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