In China, employees are entitled to paid leave for the below public holidays:
- New Year – 1 day;
- Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) – 3 days;
- Tomb Sweeping Day – 1 day;
- Labor Day – 1 day;
- Dragon Boat Festival – 1 day;
- Mid-Autumn Festival – 1 day;
- National Day – 3 days.
As is traditional, the holiday schedule features two major week-long holidays: Spring Festival (also known as Chinese New Year) and the National Day holiday.
In 2021, the Spring Festival falls between February 11 and 17, and the National Day holiday between October 1 and 7.
Employers should note that Saturdays and Sundays are often connected with the national holiday to make it longer, or marked as additional official work days to compensate for adjusted longer breaks around the national holidays.
For example, in 2021, Sunday, February 7 and Saturday, February 20 are designated as official work-days to partially offset the seven days off for the Spring Festival.
To be noted, despite employees can take longer break after the national holiday break being adjusted, the triple pay for working on national holidays can only be granted to the original national holiday days stipulated by law, such as one day for the New Year and three days for the Chinese New Year. Working on the adjusted breaks will only be granted double pay for overtime.
The General Office of the State Council usually releases official holiday schedule for the next year in December. China’s 2021 official national holiday schedule is as below:
New Year
- January 1 – 3, 2021 (3 day in total; Friday to Sunday)
Spring Festival
- February 11 – 17, 2021 (7 days in total; Thursday to Wednesday)
- Adjusted working days: February 7, 2021 (Sunday) and February 20, 2021 (Saturday)
Tomb Sweeping Festival
- April 3 – 5, 2021 (3 days in total; Saturday to Monday)
Labor Day
- May 1 – 5, 2021 (3 days in total; Saturday to Wednesday)
- Adjusted working days: April 25, 2021 (Sunday) and May 8, 2021 (Saturday)
Dragon Boat Festival
- June 12 – 14, 2021 (3 days in total; Saturday to Monday)
Mid-Autumn Festival
- September 19 – 21, 2021 (3 days in total; Sunday to Tuesday)
- Adjusted working days: September 18, 2021 (Saturday)
National Day
- October 1 – 7, 2021 (7 days in total; Friday to Thursday)
- Adjusted working days: September 26, 2021 (Sunday) and October 9, 2021 (Saturday)
