2026 Working Days Calendar for China ↓ Monthly Breakdown

Legal Basis for Regional Holiday Autonomy

The foundation for regional holiday differences in mainland China is embedded in the National Holidays and Memorial Days Regulations. Article 4 explicitly states that holidays for ethnic minority customs shall be determined by the local people's governments in areas where these minorities reside, in accordance with their traditions. Conversely, the Special Administrative Regions derive their authority from their respective Basic Laws, maintaining independent legal systems regarding labor and public holidays that diverge entirely from the mainland framework.

Special Administrative Regions (SARs)

Hong Kong

Hong Kong operates under its own General Holidays Ordinance (Cap. 149). The SAR's calendar includes 17 general holidays, blending Chinese traditions with Western Christian observances and local historical events not recognized in mainland China. Unique to Hong Kong are Good Friday, the day following Good Friday, Easter Monday, the Birthday of the Buddha, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day (July 1), National Day (October 1), and the Chung Yeung Festival.

Macau

Macau maintains a distinct holiday calendar reflecting its Portuguese colonial heritage and local Catholic traditions, governed by regional labor laws and government decrees. Unique regional holidays include Macau SAR Establishment Day (December 20), All Souls' Day, the Immaculate Conception Day, Winter Solstice, and extended Christmas holidays, which are not part of the mainland statutory calendar.

Autonomous Regions and Ethnic Minority Holidays

Mainland China's five autonomous regions and various minority prefectures enact localized holiday decrees annually. These holidays are legally binding within their jurisdictions but do not apply nationally.

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

Xinjiang observes the most extensive regional holiday additions in mainland China, governed by the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Regulations on Holidays for Ethnic Minority Customs. For 2026, the regional government mandates a 3-day holiday for Roza Heyit (Eid al-Fitr) and a 5-day holiday for Qurban Heyit (Eid al-Adha), adding 8 extra days to the national calendar.

Other Autonomous Regions and Provinces

• Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region: Observes the San Yue San (Third Day of the Third Lunar Month) festival, typically granting a 2-day regional holiday to celebrate Zhuang culture.
• Tibet Autonomous Region: Grants regional holidays for Losar (Tibetan New Year) and the Shoton Festival, usually amounting to several days off based on the local lunar calendar.
• Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region: Similar to Xinjiang, Ningxia grants regional holidays for Eid al-Fitr (Roza Heyit) and Eid al-Adha (Qurban Heyit), typically totaling 3 to 5 days.
• Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region: Observes the Anniversary of the Establishment of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region (May 1, commemorating its founding in 1947), granting a regional holiday.
• Yunnan & Guizhou Provinces: Various autonomous prefectures within these provinces (e.g., Xishuangbanna, Dehong) observe local Dai minority festivals such as the Water Splashing Festival.

Recent Legislative Trends

The State Council's 2024 Amendment to the National Holidays Regulations, effective January 1, 2025, increased the total number of national statutory holidays from 11 to 13 days (adding Lunar New Year's Eve and an extra day for Labor Day). While this amendment standardized the national baseline and introduced rules limiting continuous pre- and post-holiday working days to a maximum of six, it explicitly preserved the autonomy of regional governments to append ethnic minority holidays. Consequently, the gap between the national standard and regional calendars in areas like Xinjiang and Ningxia remains structurally intact, with local governments continuing to issue annual supplementary notices integrating Islamic holidays with the newly expanded national framework.

The Legal Framework of Tiaoxiu

In China, the statutory public holiday schedule is determined annually by the State Council. To create extended holiday bridges, the government shifts adjacent weekend days to align with weekday public holidays. Consequently, the original weekend days are reclassified as official working days. The 2026 schedule was formalized in the Notice of the General Office of the State Council on the Arrangement of Partial Holidays in 2026 (Document No. 国办发明电〔2025〕7号), published on November 4, 2025.

2026 Official Make-up Workdays (Buban / 补班)

Employees across mainland China are required to work on the following six weekend dates in 2026. These days are legally classified as regular workdays, meaning standard weekday attendance rules apply.

• January 4, 2026 (Sunday): Compensates for the 3-day New Year's Day holiday break (January 1–3).
• February 14, 2026 (Saturday): Pre-holiday make-up day for the 9-day Spring Festival break.
• February 28, 2026 (Saturday): Post-holiday make-up day for the 9-day Spring Festival break.
• May 9, 2026 (Saturday): Compensates for the 5-day Labor Day holiday break (May 1–5).
• September 20, 2026 (Sunday): Pre-holiday make-up day for the 7-day National Day Golden Week.
• October 10, 2026 (Saturday): Post-holiday make-up day for the 7-day National Day Golden Week.

Labor Law and Overtime Implications

A common point of confusion for foreign employers and expatriates is whether working on a designated Tiaoxiu weekend triggers weekend overtime pay. According to Chinese labor regulations and HR compliance guidelines outlined by sources like China Briefing, because the State Council decree legally reclassifies these specific Saturdays and Sundays as standard working days, employees are simply fulfilling their regular workweek obligations. Therefore, no special weekend overtime premium (typically 200% of the base wage) is due for working on these specific make-up days, provided the employee's standard monthly working hours are not otherwise exceeded.

Holidays Requiring No Make-up Work

It is worth noting that not all 2026 holidays require calendar shuffling. The Qingming Festival (April 4–6), Dragon Boat Festival (June 19–21), and Mid-Autumn Festival (September 25–27) naturally align with adjacent weekends, granting a 3-day break without necessitating any compensatory buban workdays. For workers and employers, these periods represent the smoothest transitions of the year, free from the complexities of the Tiaoxiu system.