China's main holiday period — the Lunar New Year (Chunjie) — has begun. This is a time of traditions, reflecting on past achievements, and making plans for the future. For business, it is a symbolic milestone to lay a solid foundation for the year ahead.
Understanding cultural specifics is the basis for reliable partnerships. Use our recommendations to strengthen your position and relationships with your Chinese colleagues.
Peculiarities of the Chinese Holiday schedule:
Long weekends don't appear out of nowhere.
They are manually assembled: Saturdays are sacrificed, and days off are moved to weekdays.
The run-up is a peak, then—complete silence.
In the 7–10 days before the holiday, everything works at full capacity. But on the big day itself—silence.
The return is slow.
The first few days after the holidays are spent "getting back up to speed" and clearing the backlog. This takes anywhere from 3 to 10 days.
This isn't an anomaly. It's the rhythm in which Chinese business operates. Adapt to it, and your shipments will run more smoothly.
Official PRC Holiday Periods in 2026:
New Year's Day: January 1-3; January 4 (Sun) – working day (make-up day)
Spring Festival / Chinese New Year: February 15-23; February 14 (Sat) and February 28 (Sat) – working days (make-up days). The date of Lunar New Year in 2026 is February 17.
Qingming Festival / Tomb-Sweeping Day: April 4-6
Labor Day: May 1-5; May 9 (Sat) – working day (make-up day)
Dragon Boat Festival: June 19-21
Mid-Autumn Festival: September 25-27
Chinese National Day: October 1-7; September 20 (Sun) and October 10 (Sat) – working days (make-up days).
After your Chinese colleagues return from their holidays, don't hesitate to reach out—they appreciate attention and care for the partnership. But remember: criticizing the holiday "lull" or hinting at low business activity during this period can be perceived as disrespect for traditions. The best tone is warm, grateful, and forward-looking.