China has nine national holidays, as follows

Public Holiday

New York’s Day 1 January

Spring festival (Chinese New Year) usually February

International Women’s Day 8 March

International Labor Day 1 May

Youth Day 1 June

Birthday of the Chinese Communist Party 1 July

Anniversary of the founding of the PLA 1 August

National Day 1 October

The 1 May holiday has been drawn out into a week-long holiday, as has National Day on 1 October. The Chinese New Year is also a week-long holiday for many; it’s not a great idea to arrive in China or go traveling during these holidays as things tend to grind to a halt. Firecrackers have been banned in most Chinese cities for announcing the Chinese New Year. Notable times when temples are their liveliest include:

February
Spring Festival

This is also know as Chinese New Year and starts on the first day of the first month in the lunar calendar. Many people take a week off work. Be warned: this is China’s biggest holiday and all transport and hotels are booked solid. Although the demand for accommodation skyrockets, many hotels close down at this time and price rise steeply. If you can’t avoid being in China at this time, then book your room in advance and sit tight until the chaos is over!

Lantern Festival
It’s not a public holiday, but it’s very colorful. People make or buy paper lanterns and walk around the streets in the evening holding them. It falls on the 15 th day of the first month.

March/April
Guanyin’s Birthday
The birthday of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, is a fine time to visit Buddhist temples, many of which have halls dedicated to the divinity. Guanyin’s birthday is the 19 th day of the second month.

April
Tomb Sweeping Day
A day for worshipping ancestors; people visit and clean the graves of their departed relatives. They often place flowers on the tomb and burn ghost money for the departed. The festival falls on 5 April in the Gregorian calendar in most years.

June
Dragon Boat Festival
This is the time to see dragon boat races and eat triangular glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed leaves. It’s a fun holiday despite the fact that it commemorates the sad tale of Qu Yuan, a 3 rd century BC poet-statesman who hurled himself into the mythological Mi Lo river in Hunan to protest against the corrupt government. This holiday falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.

August
Ghost Month
The devout believe The devout believe that during this time the ghosts from hell walk the earth and it is a dangerous time to travel, do swimming, get married or move house. If someone dies during the funeral and burial will be performed the following month. The Chinese government officially denounces Ghost month as a lot of superstitious nonsense. The ghost Month is the seventh lunar month.

September/October
Mid-Autumn Festival
This is also known as the Moon Festival, and is the time to gaze at the moon and eat tasty moon cakes and it’s also a traditional holiday for lovers. The festival takes place on the 15 th day of the eighth month.