On November 4, China’s State Council released the 2026 national holiday schedule. According to Xinhua News Agency, the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) holiday will run from February 15 to 23, giving citizens a nine-day break. However, employees will need to work on February 14 and February 28 (both Saturdays) to compensate for the extended holiday.

Longest Spring Festival Holiday Ever

This will be China’s longest Spring Festival break in history, lasting nine consecutive days. Under the 2024 revised national holiday regulations, which take effect on January 1, 2025, the total number of public holidays remains the same, but the Spring Festival and Labor Day each gain one additional day off.

In 2026, thanks to the adjustment of two weekends, people will enjoy holidays starting from Lunar December 28 (腊月二十八) through the second day after the Lantern Festival (正月初五). Both Lunar December 28 and New Year’s Eve (除夕) will be official holidays. This gives families two full days before New Year’s Day to prepare for travel, shopping, and family gatherings.

Separate Mid-Autumn and National Day Holidays

Because the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day are about a week apart in 2026, the two holidays will be celebrated separately. To ensure a seven-day National Day holiday, one Sunday (September 20) will be adjusted as a working day.

Experts: A Flexible and Family-Friendly Adjustment

Wang Qiyan, senior researcher at the Yangtze River Economic Belt Institute of Renmin University of China, said this flexible schedule aligns with weekend distribution and allows more preparation time for families. However, it is unclear whether this nine-day format will continue in future years.

Encouraging Longer Paid Leave and “Snow Vacations”

The government notice also encourages companies and individuals to combine official holidays with paid annual leave to create longer vacations and promote off-peak travel. Some regions are even experimenting with new types of leave — for instance, Urumqi introduced a five-day “snow vacation” for all primary and secondary school students in December, effectively giving them up to nine consecutive days off.

Travel and Tourism Boom Expected

Travel data from the platform Qunar.com shows that flight bookings from Urumqi increased 45.3% during the “snow vacation.” Many travelers are already planning their 2026 Spring Festival trips. The most popular winter destinations include Harbin, Shenyang, Changchun, Hohhot, Altay, Mudanjiang, Aba, and Jilin.

Most of those flying to the “winter wonderland” city Harbin are from southern cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Qingdao, Xi’an, Nanjing, and Sanya.

As one netizen joked:

“With nine days off, it’s time for families — and tourism departments — to start getting excited!”