Holiday planning
Long Weekends in China 2026
China has 7 long weekends in 2026. The longest natural break is 10 days around Spring Festival Holiday & Spring Festival Eve & Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) (Sat 14 Feb – Mon 23 Feb). Take Friday off and turn the Spring Festival Holiday & Spring Festival Eve & Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) break into a 11-day run.
7
Long weekends
11
Longest break (days)
7
Bridge day opportunities
All long weekends in China 2026
Sorted by calendar date. "Days off" = the natural break without any annual leave. "Bridge days" = working days to take as paid leave to extend the break.
| Date range | Holiday | Days off | Bridge days to take | Total break |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 31 Dec – Sun 4 Jan | New Year's Day, New Year's Holiday | 4 | Wednesday(Wed 31 Dec) | 5d |
| Fri 13 Feb – Mon 23 Feb | Spring Festival Holiday, Spring Festival Eve, Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) | 10 | Friday(Fri 13 Feb) | 11d |
| Fri 3 Apr – Mon 6 Apr | Qing Ming Jie Holiday, Qing Ming Jie | 3 | Friday(Fri 3 Apr) | 4d |
| Thu 30 Apr – Tue 5 May | Labour Day, Labour Day Holiday | 5 | Thursday(Thu 30 Apr) | 6d |
| Thu 18 Jun – Sun 21 Jun | Dragon Boat Festival, Dragon Boat Festival Holiday | 3 | Thursday(Thu 18 Jun) | 4d |
| Thu 24 Sept – Sun 27 Sept | Mid-Autumn Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival Holiday | 3 | Thursday(Thu 24 Sept) | 4d |
| Thu 1 Oct – Sun 11 Oct | National Day, National Day Holiday, National Day Golden Week holiday | 7 | Thursday + Friday(Thu 8 Oct, Fri 9 Oct) | 11d |
Best long weekends in China 2026
The top breaks ranked by total consecutive days off.
February
Spring Festival Holiday & Spring Festival Eve & Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)
Fri 13 Feb – Mon 23 Feb
11
days
October
National Day & National Day Holiday & National Day Golden Week holiday
Thu 1 Oct – Sun 11 Oct
11
days
May
Labour Day & Labour Day Holiday
Thu 30 Apr – Tue 5 May
6
days
January
New Year's Day & New Year's Holiday
Wed 31 Dec – Sun 4 Jan
5
days
How to use bridge days in China
A bridge day (sometimes called a sandwiched day) is a working day that sits between a public holiday and a weekend. By taking it as paid annual leave, you connect the holiday to the weekend and create a longer uninterrupted break.
For example, if a public holiday falls on a Thursday, taking Friday off gives you Thursday + Friday + Saturday + Sunday — four consecutive days using only one day of leave.
In China 2026, there are 7 bridge day opportunities highlighted in the table above. The biggest gain is around Spring Festival Holiday & Spring Festival Eve & Chinese New Year (Spring Festival): take Friday off to turn a 10-day break into 11 consecutive days using only 1 day of annual leave.
Public holidays linked to long weekends
Spring Festival Holiday
Sun 15 Feb
Spring Festival Eve
Mon 16 Feb
Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)
Tue 17 Feb
National Day
Thu 1 Oct
National Day Holiday
Fri 2 Oct
National Day Golden Week holiday
Tue 6 Oct
Labour Day
Fri 1 May
Labour Day Holiday
Sat 2 May
New Year's Day
Thu 1 Jan
New Year's Holiday
Fri 2 Jan
Qing Ming Jie Holiday
Sat 4 Apr
Qing Ming Jie
Sun 5 Apr
Dragon Boat Festival
Fri 19 Jun
Dragon Boat Festival Holiday
Sat 20 Jun
Mid-Autumn Festival
Fri 25 Sept
Mid-Autumn Festival Holiday
Sat 26 Sept
Continue exploring
More for China 2026
Public holidays
Public holidays in China 2026
Full list of 33 public holidays with dates and observance notes.
Working days
Working days in China 2026
Monthly breakdown of weekdays minus public holidays.
Other year
Long weekends in China 2027
Same bridge day analysis for 2027.
Country overview
China holidays overview
All years at a glance — upcoming public holidays.
Calculator
Working Days Between Two Dates
Net working days for any date range — public holidays excluded, 192 countries.
Frequently asked questions
How many long weekends does China have in 2026?
China has 7 long weekends in 2026 where a public holiday creates a break of three or more consecutive days.
What is a bridge day?
A bridge day is a regular working day that falls between a public holiday and a weekend. Taking it as annual leave creates an uninterrupted break of four or more days using just one or two days of paid leave — maximising your time off.
What is the longest long weekend in China in 2026?
The longest break is 11 days from Friday, 13 February 2026 to Monday, 23 February 2026, centred around Spring Festival Holiday and Spring Festival Eve and Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) (taking Friday as annual leave).
How can I get the most days off with the least leave in China 2026?
The best bridge day opportunity is around Spring Festival Holiday & Spring Festival Eve & Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) (Sat 14 Feb – Mon 23 Feb). Take Friday as annual leave to get a 11-day break using only 1 day of paid leave.
Are bridge days public holidays in China?
No. Bridge days are ordinary working days — employees choose to take them as paid annual leave. They are not legally mandated public holidays.