Public holidays in mainland China.In 2008 some new holidays were introduced (Tomb Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat and Mid Autumn festival. Some other dates were rearranged. In addition to these national holidays, also the dates of the Spring Festival depend on the Lunar calender. Thus every year the dates of these special days can change. It is also common practise to pull certain days together to extend a holiday with a weekend.
Especially during the Spring Festival travel is extremely busy. Prices
of hotels, flights and sightseeing places all go up around the two
major holidays. Best to book well in advance or avoid travel during
these periods.
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The official public holidays in 2008 for China are:
| 2008 |
Day of week
|
Holiday name
|
Notes
|
Lunar
|
| Jan 1 |
Tuesday |
New Year |
|
|
| Feb 6 |
Wednesday |
Spring Festival |
New Year's Eve
|
yes |
| Feb 7 |
Thursday |
Spring Festival |
|
yes |
Feb 8
|
Friday |
Spring Festival |
|
yes |
Feb 9
|
Saturday |
Spring Festival |
|
yes |
Feb 10
|
Sunday |
Spring Festival |
|
yes |
Feb 11
|
Monday |
Spring Festival |
|
yes |
Feb 12
|
Tuesday |
Spring Festival |
|
yes |
Apr 4
|
Friday |
Tomb Sweeping Day |
Ching Min
|
yes |
May 1
|
Thursday |
Labour Day |
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May 2
|
Friday |
Labour Day |
extension, work Sunday May 4 |
|
Jun 8
|
Sunday |
Dragon Boat
|
|
yes |
Jun 9
|
Monday |
Dragon Boat
|
|
yes |
Aug 8
|
Friday |
Beijing Olympics |
Opening ceremony
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| Aug 24 |
Sunday |
Beijing Olympics |
Closing ceremony
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Sep 14
|
Sunday |
Mid-Autumn Festival
|
|
yes |
Sep 15
|
Monday |
Mid-Autumn Festival
|
|
yes |
Sep 29
|
Monday |
National Day holiday
|
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Sep 30
|
Tuesday |
National Day holiday
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Oct 1
|
Wednesday |
National Day |
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Oct 2
|
Thursday |
National Day holiday
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Oct 3
|
Friday |
National Day holiday |
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August 8 has been proposed as a national holiday called 'Sports Day' but has not been approved as of April 2008. The current status is unknown. The parts of the calender marked in red are the two 'big' holidays in China during which most Chinese can travel.
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 12 April 2008 )
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