Is today an official public holiday in China?

State Council Framework, Tiaoxiu Rules & Banking Clearing

In the People's Republic of China, public holidays are established by executive decrees issued by the State Council of the PRC pursuant to the Measures for National Annual Leave and Memorial Days. Under revisions adopted by the State Council, citizens receive 13 statutory paid public holidays per calendar year:

• New Year's Day (元旦): 1 day (1 January)
• Spring Festival / Lunar New Year (春节): 4 statutory days (Lunar New Year's Eve through the third day of the lunar month)
• Tomb-Sweeping Day / Qingming (清明节): 1 day (lunar calculation)
• Labour Day (劳动节): 2 statutory days (1–2 May)
• Dragon Boat Festival (端午节): 1 day (5th day of 5th lunar month)
• Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节): 1 day (15th day of 8th lunar month)
• National Day (国庆节): 3 statutory days (1–3 October)

How Makeup Workdays (Tiáoxiū) Function

While the state designates 13 statutory paid holidays, workers experience longer unbroken vacation blocks through an official calendar-shifting mechanism known as tiáoxiū (调休, adjusted rest). The State Council pairs statutory holiday days with adjacent weekend rest days and shifts other weekend days onto the corporate calendar as mandatory working days.

This system generates the two famous week-long breaks: the Spring Festival Golden Week in winter and the National Day Golden Week (1–7 October) in autumn. To prevent worker fatigue, State Council regulations stipulate that continuous working days before or after adjusted holiday periods should generally not exceed six consecutive days. On officially designated makeup weekend workdays, corporate offices, public institutions, and schools operate standard weekday hours without overtime compensation.

Labour Law Article 44: The 300% vs. 200% Pay Rule

Under Article 44 of the PRC Labour Law, compensation for working during holiday blocks depends on the legal classification of the specific day:

• Statutory Public Holidays (The 13 Official Days): Employers who require staff to work on an actual statutory holiday (such as 1 October or Lunar New Year's Day) must pay no less than 300% of the employee's regular hourly or daily wage. Under Chinese labor law, employers cannot substitute compensatory rest days (time in lieu) for the 300% statutory pay.
• Adjusted Rest Days (Transferred Weekend Bridge Days): Work performed on adjusted weekend bridge days during a Golden Week can either be compensated by an alternative rest day or paid at no less than 200% of regular wages if time in lieu cannot be arranged.
• Weekday Overtime: Regular overtime hours outside standard daily shifts are compensated at no less than 150%.

Banking Clearing Rails (CNAPS) & Digital Payments

Wholesale interbank financial infrastructure is managed by the People's Bank of China (PBOC) through the China National Automated Payment System (CNAPS). During Golden Week holiday spans, the High-Value Payment System (HVPS) pauses interbank settlement or undergoes scheduled maintenance.

However, consumer and retail banking channels operate continuously:

• Retail Clearing: The PBOC's Internet Banking Payment System (IBPS) and UnionPay payment networks operate 24/7/365. Mobile wallet transactions via Alipay and WeChat Pay function in real time without holiday interruption.
• Branch Operations: While commercial banks close corporate lending and administrative desks, major retail bank branches maintain rotational teller windows for personal deposits and cash services.
• Cross-Border Trade: International treasury wires requiring foreign exchange conversion or central bank settlement queue until the first official working day. Calculate net working day delivery windows using our Working Days Calculator.

Financial Markets (SSE, SZSE & BSE)

The Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE), Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE), and Beijing Stock Exchange (BSE) publish annual trading calendars aligned with State Council directives. Stock exchanges close for trading throughout entire Golden Week holiday blocks. Crucially, Chinese equity and bond markets do not open for trading on weekend makeup workdays (tiáoxiū days), even though commercial offices and banks operate nationwide.

China Payment Rails, Exchange Cutoffs & Statutory Pay Matrix (2026–2027)

When a statutory public holiday or in-lieu bank holiday occurs in China, commercial banking counters, central bank real-time gross settlement (RTGS) rails, and retail instant payment systems follow distinct operational rules:

Key 2026 vs. 2027 Holiday Date Shifts & Bridge-Day Planning in China

Because fixed calendar holidays shift one weekday forward between 2026 and 2027 (and movable lunar or liturgical holidays shift by 10 to 15 days), HR teams, payroll processors, and employees in China should account for the following 2026–2027 date comparisons and leave-bridge opportunities: