Holiday planning is a critical factor when working with product development and production in China. With three major holiday breaks, understanding how these impact factory schedules is essential to ensuring smooth operations and avoiding delays in your supply chain.
China’s three major holidays are Chinese New Year, Labor Day Golden Week, and National Holiday Golden Week. Each of these requires careful planning and communication with your suppliers.
1. Chinese New Year (CNY)
Chinese New Year is the longest and most challenging holiday to plan for, as it falls on different dates each year according to the lunar calendar. Officially, it’s a 7-day holiday starting on the first day of the new lunar year, but in practice, it affects production much more extensively.
Factories typically shut down anywhere from 7 to 14 days before New Year’s Eve and often don’t fully reopen for 10 to 21 days after the holiday. The exact length of closure depends on the region, the availability of local workers, and the industry. For instance, in regions like Zhejiang and Jiangsu, factories may close as early as mid-January and not fully restart until mid-February.
For example, in 2025, Chinese New Year is on January 29th, and factories in these regions went offline by January 14th. Management typically returned to work around February 5th, but full production resumed only on February 13th.
Pro Tip: Start discussing potential holiday conflicts with your suppliers as early as the summer or fall before the holiday. This will give you enough time to adjust production schedules, place orders early, or pre-book materials. Keep in mind that shipping and courier services may also experience delays during this time.
2. Labor Day Golden Week (May 1st)
This holiday spans 5 days, but many factories only close for about 3 days. It’s generally easier to plan around, though it’s still important to check with your suppliers as factories may have different policies.
Pro Tip: Communicate with your factory ahead of time to confirm their specific holiday schedule to avoid surprises.
3. National Holiday Golden Week (October 1st)
National Holiday is a 7-day event, but it can extend to 9 days if it coincides with the Mid-Autumn Festival. Factory closures vary from 3 to 7 days, depending on the factory.
Pro Tip: This holiday can lead to minor shipping delays, so ensure you plan accordingly and confirm with your suppliers how long they plan to be offline.
Other Notable Holidays
China also observes several shorter holidays, such as Dragon Boat Festival, Tomb Sweeping Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival. These holidays last for 3 days and generally cause minimal disruption to production schedules.
Key Takeaways
Planning for Chinese holidays is all about early communication with your suppliers. Make it a habit to check with your factory partners about their holiday plans well in advance. This way, you can avoid production delays, adjust your timeline, and ensure your supply chain stays on track.
By staying proactive, you can keep your production timelines running smoothly—even during these critical holiday periods.
How CKG Can Help
At CKG, we understand the complexities of navigating holiday breaks in China. With over 50 years of experience in the industry, we help our clients stay ahead by planning around these key dates and ensuring seamless production schedules. If you need support in managing your supply chain during these holiday periods, we’re here to help.