All provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government, ministries and commissions under the state council:
Approved by the State Council, now the 2024 holiday arrangement (including New Year's day, the Spring Festival, Qingming day, Labour day, the Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn festival and National Day) is as follows:
1, New Year's Day: Jan 1, 2024.
2, the Spring Festival: Feb 10 — Feb 17.
3, Qingming Festival: April 4 — April 6.
4, Labour Day: May 1 — May 5.
5, the Dragon Boat Festival: June 10.
6, Mid-Autumn Festival: Sept 15 — Sept 17.
7, National Day: Oct 1 — Oct 7.
During the holidays, all localities and departments should properly arrange their shifts, safety and security work. In the event of major emergencies, they should promptly report and properly dispose the incident in accordance with the regulations, and ensure that people can spend their holidays safely and peacefully.
General Office of the State Council
National holidays in China include:
New Year’s Day on January 1
Chinese New Year (the first day of the first month on the Chinese Lunar Calendar, falls in late January or early February)
International Labor Day Celebration from May 1 through 3
National Day Celebration from October 1 through
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Boasting rich cultural meaning and a long history, traditional Chinese festivals compose an important and brilliant part of Chinese culture. Following are a few example of some of the more popular festivals celebrated in China.
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The Spring Festival is the most important festival for the Chinese people and is when all family members get together, just like Christmas in the West. All people living away from home go back, becoming the busiest time for airports, railway stations and long-distance bus stations. The Spring Festival falls on the 1st day of the 1st lunar month, often one month later than the Gregorian calendar. A series of activities such as lion dancing, dragon lantern dancing, lantern festivals and temple fairs will be held for days. The Spring Festival then comes to an end when the Lantern Festival is finished.
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The Dragon Boat Festival, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, has had a history of more than 2,000 years. It is usually in June in the Gregorian calendar. Dragon boat racing is an indispensable part of the festival, held all over the country. As the starting gun is fired, people will see racers in dragon-shaped canoes pulling the oars, accompanied by rapid drum beats, speeding toward their destination.
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The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, usually in February or March. This day’s important activity is watching lanterns. Throughout the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), Buddhism flourished in China. One emperor heard that Buddhist monks would watch sarira, or remains from the cremation of Buddha’s body, and light lanterns to worship Buddha on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, so he ordered to light lanterns in the imperial palace and temples to show respect to Buddha on this day.
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The Double Seventh Festival, on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, is a traditional festival full of romance. It often goes into August. This festival is celebrated when the weather is warm and the grass and trees reveal their luxuriant greens. In recent years, in particular, younger generations in urban areas have celebrated it as a kind of Chinese Valentine’s Day. As a result, owners of flower shops, bars and stores will promote items related to the theme of romance.
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The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, usually in October. The festival has a long history. In ancient China, emperors followed the rite of offering sacrifices to the sun in spring and to the moon in autumn. Historical books of the Zhou Dynasty had had the word “Mid-Autumn”. Later aristocrats and literary figures helped expand the ceremony to common people. They enjoyed the full, bright moon on that day, worshipped it and expressed their thoughts and feelings under it. People in different places follow various customs, but all show their love and longing for a better life. Today people enjoy the full moon and eat moon cakes on that day. The moon looks extremely round, big and bright on the 15th day of each lunar month. People selected the August 15 to celebrate because it is a season when crops and fruits are ripe and the weather is pleasant. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, family and friends meet outside, putting food on tables and looking up at the sky while talking about life.
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