The Best Time to Go to China to Avoid The Crowds
With a population of 1.4 billion, China has only about ten days of public holidays each year, and long breaks are concentrated in a few major festivals such as the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) and National Day. As a result, during these holidays, tens of millions of people travel, leading to extremely crowded tourist destinations.
Peak Seasons
| Periods | Specific Date | Trips |
|---|---|---|
| Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) | Jan. 28, 2025 – Feb. 4, 2025 | 300 million |
| Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day) | Apr. 4, 2025 – Apr. 6, 2025 | 100 million |
| Labor Day (May Day) | May. 1, 2025 – May. 7, 2025 | 300 million |
| Dragon Boat Festival | May. 30, 2025 – Jun. 1, 2025 | 150 million |
| Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day | Oct. 1, 2025 – Oct. 7, 2025 | 800 million |
During the peak travel season, it can be very difficult to make reservations for accommodations, transportation, and attractions. Potential issues you may encounter during these holidays:
- Heavy Crowding: Popular tourist destinations, restaurants, shopping centers, and transportation hubs can become extremely crowded.
- Booking Difficulties: Difficulty in securing flights or train tickets, limited availability of attraction tickets, and fully booked hotels.
- Traffic Control Measures: Such as suspended bus services in densely populated areas, subway skip-stopping, and vehicle bans, which may require walking.
- Price Fluctuations: The prices for services such as air tickets, hotels, and dining may rise, and could even double.
- Tourist Stranding: In extreme cases, the closure of scenic areas and highway congestion can lead to tourists being stranded, making it impossible for them to leave promptly, and causing disruptions to their daily life and meals.