In this article
China public holidays 2026
Shanghai schools close for the national public holidays set by the State Council. Several are anchored to the lunar calendar, and the government publishes the exact bridged dates, including any make up working weekends, each year. The 2026 headline dates are below.
| Holiday | Date(s) 2026 |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thursday 1 January |
| Spring Festival | Sunday 15 to Monday 23 February |
| Qingming Festival | around 4 to 6 April |
| Labour Day | Friday 1 to Tuesday 5 May |
| Dragon Boat Festival | around Friday 19 June |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | around Friday 25 September |
| National Day Golden Week | Thursday 1 to Wednesday 7 October |
Spring Festival is by far the most significant break of the year and the 2026 holiday is unusually long. National Day in October creates the second Golden Week. Both pull the whole city into travel mode, so plan around them rather than into them.
State school term dates 2025 to 2026
The Shanghai Municipal Education Commission sets one calendar for the city's state primary and secondary schools. The first semester ran from 1 September 2025 to 30 January 2026 across 22 weeks, and the second semester runs from 2 March 2026 to 30 June 2026 across 18 weeks.
| Period | Dates |
|---|---|
| First semester | Mon 1 September 2025 to Fri 30 January 2026 |
| Winter holiday | Mon 2 February to Fri 27 February 2026 |
| Second semester | Mon 2 March to Tue 30 June 2026 |
| Summer holiday | Wed 1 July to Mon 31 August 2026 |
The winter holiday is timed to wrap around Spring Festival, and the summer holiday is the long one, covering the hottest and most humid weeks of the Shanghai year.
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International school term dates
International schools in Shanghai run a northern hemisphere two semester or three term year that starts in mid August 2025 and finishes in mid June 2026. The crucial local difference is that they add a one to two week Chinese New Year break in February that other international cities do not have. A representative 2025 to 2026 shape is below.
| Period | Dates (2025-26, indicative) |
|---|---|
| First semester | mid August to mid December 2025 |
| Winter break | late December 2025 to early January 2026 |
| Chinese New Year break | one to two weeks in February 2026 |
| Second semester | January to mid June 2026 |
| Summer break | mid June to mid August 2026 |
Because both the state and international calendars pause for Spring Festival, February is the one month when nearly every Shanghai school is closed at the same time. For how the curricula differ, see our curriculum guides, and for the national context our China country guide.
Planning the year
Two planning notes. First, avoid booking travel into Spring Festival and the October Golden Week unless you want to move with the rest of the country, because domestic transport and prices peak hard in both windows. The international school Chinese New Year break is the better time for a family trip out of China. Second, the long state summer holiday from July lines up with the international school summer, so July and August are quiet in the city and a good time for a settling in move. Budget the year with our Shanghai international school fees guide, then compare schools in the Shanghai schools directory.
Exam season and where families settle
International school examinations in Shanghai follow the global calendar, with IB Diploma and IGCSE papers in May and June, so the second semester is the intense one and senior cohorts wind down their teaching before the summer break. State schools run their major assessments at the end of each semester, in January and June, and the senior secondary Gaokao pressure shapes the wider city mood in early June. Expatriate families cluster in the former French Concession, Hongqiao and the Jinqiao and Kangqiao areas of Pudong, where the larger international campuses and their bus networks sit. Because both the state and international calendars pause for Spring Festival, plan family travel for that February window rather than into the National Day Golden Week, when exams are over and the whole country is not trying to move at once.
Common questions
When do schools break up in Shanghai? State schools break for the winter holiday from 2 February 2026 and for the summer holiday from 1 July 2026. International schools break up for summer in mid June 2026 and also take a Chinese New Year break in February.
How long is the summer holiday in Shanghai? The state school summer holiday runs from 1 July to 31 August 2026, around nine weeks. International schools break from mid June to mid August, a similar length.
When does the 2026 school year start in Shanghai? The state school second semester started on 2 March 2026, and the next full year begins on 1 September 2026. International schools start the 2026 to 2027 year in mid August 2026.
Do Shanghai international schools close for Chinese New Year? Yes. Unlike international schools in many other countries, Shanghai international schools add a one to two week Chinese New Year break in February around Spring Festival, alongside their standard winter and summer holidays.
When is Spring Festival in 2026? The Spring Festival public holiday runs from 15 to 23 February 2026, with Chinese New Year's Day on 17 February. It is the longest break of the Shanghai school year.