Guoqing Jie (National Day) lands on October 1, and the surrounding week is the single biggest domestic travel surge in China - bigger even than Spring Festival in raw movement. Here is how a foreign shopper survives the crowds, the prices and the train tickets.
"Golden Week" (huang jin zhou) in China usually means one of two week-long national holidays. The October one - National Day, or Guoqing Jie - is the travel-and-shopping peak that foreign visitors are most likely to trip over.
National Day is fixed on October 1. The holiday length and the "adjusted weekends" around it are set by the State Council and announced a few months ahead.
For the official arrangement and any 2027 adjustments, watch the State Council / NIA announcements - and build your booking timeline around the dates once they are confirmed.
Three things change during Golden Week, and each one is predictable if you know it is coming.
Major sights (the Li River, Zhangjiajie, the Great Wall sections near Beijing, West Lake) hit capacity and use timed-entry tickets. City malls are busy but move.
Domestic flights and popular hotels rise sharply; some scenic-city hotels sell out. Big-city base hotels move less.
Department stores and chains keep stock and hours; small independent sellers may close or shorten hours.
Customs and tax-refund counters at departure get busy - pad your flight buffer and keep forms ready.
Golden Week is not a bad time to shop - it is a time to shop smart. The playbook:
National retail sales events and mall promotions do run during Golden Week, so branded goods are sometimes discounted - but that is separate from the VAT refund you claim at departure, which is unaffected by the holiday. Do not confuse a "holiday sale" with your refund; both can stack.
Transport is where Golden Week bites hardest. The booking rules:
The everyday tools that keep you smooth are the same ones you set up on arrival - just make sure they are live before the holiday crunch:
For the full landing-day sequence - entry, SIM, payments, airport-to-city - start at the China Arrival Guide 2026.
| Aspect | National Day Golden Week (Oct) | Spring Festival (late winter) |
|---|---|---|
| Timing | Around Oct 1, ~7 days | Chinese New Year, ~7 days + long run-up |
| Mood | Travel & leisure peak | Family reunion; many businesses close |
| Shops open? | Malls & chains stay open | Many independent shops close for days |
| Best for shoppers | Mall promotions + refund still runs | Quieter streets, but less to buy |
| Foreigner tip | Book trains/hotels weeks ahead | See the 2027 guide for the winter version |
Both are covered in depth elsewhere on the site - this page is your October playbook, and the Spring Festival 2027 travel guide is the winter one.
National Day is October 1. In 2027 the holiday is expected to run roughly October 1-7 (a 7-day public holiday), with adjacent weekends often shifted to create a longer block. The State Council confirms the exact adjusted schedule a few months ahead - verify the official 2027 arrangement before you book transport.
Not necessarily - but plan around it. The first and last 2-3 days are the worst for transport and scenic crowds. If your dates are fixed, book trains and hotels weeks ahead, lean on big-city malls (which stay open and stocked), and use the middle of the week for major sights. Many foreign visitors actually prefer to land just after the holiday for quiet streets and normal prices.
Yes. The mainland departure VAT refund and Hainan offshore duty-free both keep operating through the holiday. Expect longer airport Customs and refund queues, and remember that refund forms must be stamped at departure regardless of the crowds - build buffer time into your flight. See the tax-refund guide and the duty-free vs mainland refund guide for the mechanics.
For high-speed rail and domestic flights inside the holiday window, book the moment tickets open (rail tickets typically release 15 days ahead, flights earlier). Hotels in popular scenic cities (Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Sanya, Kunming) sell out or spike in price - reserve 1-2 months ahead if your dates are fixed.
Shopping malls, department stores, convenience chains, Alipay/WeChat-payable restaurants and the major attractions all stay open - often with extended hours. Government offices and some smaller independent shops may close or shorten hours. Carry a little RMB and keep your apps topped up so a closed bank kiosk never strands you.
Holiday dates and travel arrangements change. Before you book, confirm the current 2027 National Day arrangement and transport rules on the official English sources below.