Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) — dates, closures & crowds

The world's largest annual migration. When it falls in 2026, 2027, 2028, what actually closes, and how to plan around it — plus a live checker for your exact dates. Verified 2026-09.

Quick answer: Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) runs Wed 3 Feb 2027 – Fri 12 Feb 2027. Trains and flights within China are the hardest tickets of the year. For sightseeing in mainland China, the week AFTER the break is quiet and cheap.

Destination

From

Peak crunch — a major event overlaps these dates

China · Wed 3 Feb 2027 → Fri 12 Feb 2027

🧧 Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) · Wed 3 Feb 2027 – Fri 12 Feb 2027

Trains and flights within China are the hardest tickets of the year

Full Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) guide →

Public holidays in this window

Sat 6 Feb 2027 — Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)

Holidays: nationwide public holidays only (regional ones excluded), verified 2026-09. Lunar-calendar events are approximate. Confirm anything date-critical locally.

What it is

New Year's Day falls on 17 Feb 2026, 6 Feb 2027 and 26 Jan 2028. Mainland China takes an official week-plus break, and hundreds of millions travel home — the largest annual human migration on earth.

Dates

Year	Impact window
2026	Sat 14 Feb 2026 – Mon 23 Feb 2026
2027	Wed 3 Feb 2027 – Fri 12 Feb 2027
2028	Sun 23 Jan 2028 – Tue 1 Feb 2028

What to expect

Trains and flights within China are the hardest tickets of the year
Many shops, restaurants and factories close for up to a week (mainland especially)
Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia see 2–3 public holidays and heavy family travel
Korea's Seollal falls on the same lunar date — same crunch, shorter break

How to plan around it

For sightseeing in mainland China, the week AFTER the break is quiet and cheap
Book cross-border transport (HK–Shenzhen, KL–Singapore) well ahead
Temple fairs and fireworks are spectacular — go for the festival, not for logistics

Questions

Is Chinese New Year a good time to visit China?

Only if you're going for the festival itself. Intercity transport is oversubscribed, many businesses close, and major sights swing between shut and slammed. For ordinary sightseeing, the week after the official break is one of the quietest, cheapest windows of the year.

Which countries are affected by Lunar New Year travel?

Mainland China most heavily (a week-plus national break), with Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea (Seollal) and Vietnam (Tết — see our separate guide) all seeing holidays and peak family travel on the same dates.

Plan the trip

Power adapter for China →Power adapter for Hong Kong →Power adapter for Singapore →Power adapter for Malaysia →Power adapter for South Korea →

Other dates to know about

🎏 Golden Week in Japan 🌸 Tết in Vietnam 🌙 Travelling During Ramadan 💦 Songkran in Thailand ⛪ Easter Week in Europe 🦃 Thanksgiving Week in the USA

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⚠️ Nationwide public holidays only; regional holidays and one-off closures aren't listed. Lunar-calendar dates (Ramadan, Tết, Diwali) are approximate. Verified 2026-09 — confirm anything date-critical with official local sources.