A word on the Chinese public holidays and the impact of business / working days in China

There has been a major change to the official public holidays in China in year 2008. This has caused some disruption and confusion to market closures and business operating days. Be prepared to work on weekends and have your vacation plans put on hold, while these changes are being sorted out.

Currently, there are seven official public holidays in China. The Labor Day Golden Week (in May) have been replaced with a one-day holiday. Other holidays, such as the Qing Ming Festival (in April), the Dragon Boat Festival (usually in June) and the Mid-Autumn Festival (usually in September) have been introduced.

The Chinese New Year (1st day of the 1st lunar month – usually in January or February) and National Day (in October) public holidays are three-day holidays. To convert three-day holidays into week-long holidays, the Chinese government makes one or both of the weekend days (Saturdays or Sundays) of a nearby weekend into working days. The latest update on the status of public holidays can be monitored at this website.