What is Golden Week in China?

What it is and where it came from

Golden Week is not an ancient tradition. It was a carefully engineered invention of the Chinese state, first introduced in 1999 during Premier Zhu Rongji's reforms as part of a plan to stimulate domestic demand at a time when China's economy was still heavily export-oriented. The whole idea was to attract tourists and encourage domestic travel around China so as to create more economic activity. The name "Golden Week" itself came from the tourism and retail industry: during those seven days, spending spikes dramatically, so businesses called it "golden," and the name stuck.

The two Golden Weeks

There are two Golden Weeks: the Chinese New Year Golden Week (春节黄金周), centered on the Lunar New Year in January or February, and the National Day Golden Week (国庆黄金周), running October 1 to October 7 and commemorating the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The October Golden Week is generally regarded as a time to go on vacation, while the Lunar New Year holiday is a time to spend with family. There used to be a third Golden Week for Labour Day on May 1, but that was cut back to one day plus the weekend in 2007.

How the seven days actually work

Technically, Golden Week consists of three days of public holiday for National Day, a two-day weekend, and two weekday holidays that are replaced with nationally mandated workdays on two Saturdays before or after the week. In 2026, two weekends are converted into working days to pay for it: Sunday September 20 and Saturday October 10. So the break feels like a gift, but the calendar quietly takes back two Saturdays.

October 1 and what it marks

The military parade and review in Tiananmen Square in Beijing is the single biggest event of National Day, alongside flag-raising ceremonies, fireworks, and performances.

The scale of it

In the very first National Day Golden Week in 1999, more than 28 million Chinese traveled domestically, generating tourism revenue of approximately ¥14.1 billion. The numbers grew from there: by 2017, an estimated 705 million trips were made during the week. Factories, government agencies, and businesses temporarily reduce or suspend operations, which affects production schedules, transportation capacity, and cargo flows across global supply chains. If you are doing any business with Chinese manufacturers or suppliers, Golden Week is the single biggest disruption on their calendar outside of Lunar New Year.