Your Leave Calculator
How Many Days Off Do YOU Get?
China's paid annual leave is tied to years of service. Drag the slider to find your entitlement.
Years worked (total career)
3 yrs
Your year in days (365 total)
Based on 国务院《全国年节及纪念日放假办法》effective Jan 1, 2025 & 《职工带薪年休假条例》. Data as of June 2026.
13 Public Holidays
What China Actually Celebrates — And When
As of January 2025, China has 13 mandatory public holidays. Two were added that year: Spring Festival Eve (除夕) and May 2nd (Labor Day +1).
🧨
Spring Festival +1 day 2025
春节 · Chūnjié
4 days
China's most important holiday. 2025 reform added New Year's Eve (除夕). Extended to 7-day Golden Week via 调休 (makeup days). ~3 billion trips made during this period.
🎆
National Day
国庆节 · Guóqìng Jié
3 days
Oct 1–3. Celebrates the founding of the PRC in 1949. Extended to a 7-day Golden Week via makeup days. One of two "Golden Weeks" in the Chinese calendar.
🌸
Labor Day +1 day 2025
劳动节 · Láodòng Jié
2 days
May 1–2. 2025 reform added May 2nd. Often extended to a 5-day mini-Golden Week. International Workers' Day, observed more genuinely than in most Western countries.
🌕
Mid-Autumn Festival
中秋节 · Zhōngqiū Jié
1 day
15th day of 8th lunar month (Sep/Oct). Mooncakes, family reunion, full moon viewing. Often falls adjacent to National Day, creating a combined break.
🐉
Dragon Boat Festival
端午节 · Duānwǔ Jié
1 day
5th day of 5th lunar month (Jun). Dragon boat races, zongzi (sticky rice dumplings). Commemorates poet Qu Yuan. Listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
🌿
Qingming Festival
清明节 · Qīngmíng Jié
1 day
Apr 4–6. Tomb-Sweeping Day — families visit ancestors' graves, clean tombstones, burn offerings. One of the oldest Chinese festivals, also a solar term marking spring.
🎉
New Year's Day
元旦 · Yuándàn
1 day
Jan 1. The Western New Year. Much lower-key than Spring Festival — it's a rest day, not a major cultural event. Often a 3-day break via makeup days.
⚠️ The 调休 (Diào Xiū) Catch
China's Golden Weeks (7-day Spring Festival and National Day breaks) are partly borrowed from adjacent weekends. Workers must work on a nearby Saturday to "compensate." This means while you get a 7-day block, you're essentially working a 6-day week the week before or after. It's rest, redistributed — not extra rest created.
Source: 国务院《全国年节及纪念日放假办法》Jan 1 2025 revision — via 小红书 Xiaohongshu. Data as of June 2026.
Global Comparison
How China Compares: Paid Leave + Public Holidays
This chart shows the legal minimum of paid annual leave + public holidays combined. China's 18–28 days sits well below most European countries.
Source: 小红书 Xiaohongshu, 《1分钟看懂中国社会》第21期. Based on national labor law minimums. Data as of June 2026.
Daily Life
Where Does the Time Actually Go?
Having 122 days off on paper doesn't mean Chinese workers feel rested. Average daily leisure is just 2.5 hours — and women work more total hours than men when unpaid domestic labor is included.
2.5h
Average daily leisure
40+
Min daily commute (min)
👨 Men — Daily Work Hours
Total: 7.0 hrs/day
More paid work, far less domestic
👩 Women — Daily Work Hours
Total: 7.4 hrs/day
Women work 24 min more total than men
Source: 小红书 Xiaohongshu, 《1分钟看懂中国社会》第21期. Data as of June 2026.
History
How China's Holidays Grew: 1949 → 2025
China started with 7 public holidays in 1949. It took 76 years to reach 13 — each increase a political statement about quality of life.
1949
7 days — The founding baseline
The People's Republic launches with 7 public holidays. Work and production take priority in the revolutionary period.
1999
10 days — The Golden Week era begins
Reform adds 3 days. Spring Festival and National Day become 7-day Golden Weeks via 调休 (makeup days). Domestic tourism surges. +3 days
2007
11 days — Traditional culture restored
Qingming, Dragon Boat, and Mid-Autumn festivals added as public holidays, recognizing traditional Chinese culture. +1 day
2025 — Jan 1
13 days — Biggest reform in 18 years
Two new days added: Spring Festival Eve (除夕) — the most important night of the year, previously not a legal holiday — and May 2nd extending Labor Day to 2 days. +2 days
Source: 国务院《全国年节及纪念日放假办法》historical revisions — via 小红书 Xiaohongshu. Data as of June 2026.