Observance guideSource-backed

National Day2026 · Date · History

China’s central government states that October 1 is National Day, that the Central People’s Government adopted the National Day resolution on December 2, 1949, and that current national-holiday regulations include National Day in the statutory holiday framework.

Annual dateReviewed 2026-10-02Sensitive topic

About National Day

The National Day of the People’s Republic of China is observed on 1 October. China’s central government states that the Central People’s Government adopted a resolution on 2 December 1949 declaring October 1 National Day.

The government account links the date to the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949. Current national holiday regulations include National Day among holidays for all citizens.

Why National Day matters

National Day is a state civic observance tied to the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The page describes the date, legal holiday framework and historical record without taking a position on contemporary political disputes.

Current statutory rules provide National Day holiday days on October 1–3, while year-specific State Council schedules can arrange additional days and adjusted workdays around the holiday period.

History of National Day

The People’s Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949, with a ceremony in Beijing.

On December 2, 1949, the Central People’s Government passed the Resolution on the National Day of the People’s Republic of China and declared October 1 National Day.

China’s national holiday regulations have been amended over time. The current 2024 revision lists National Day as a three-day statutory holiday on October 1–3.

Year-specific State Council notices may create a longer holiday period through scheduling and adjusted workdays; those arrangements should not be confused with the underlying fixed October 1 National Day identity.

Institutional timeline

How the observance developed

This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.

Establishment2 December 1949
Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China
Resolution on the National Day of the People’s Republic of China
Superseding Instrument10 November 2024
Maintains National Day in the current statutory holiday framework with three holiday days on October 1–3.
State Council of the People’s Republic of China · Decision of the State Council on Amending the Measures for National Holidays and Memorial Days
Current stewardshipCurrent
State Council of the People’s Republic of China
Current State Council regulations and annual notices govern the national holiday schedule.

Origins & establishment

What the evidence establishes

Evidence & sources ↓

Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.

Proclaiming / establishing bodyCentral People’s Government of the People’s Republic of ChinaThe government history page states that the Central People’s Government passed the National Day resolution.

Original establishing instrument / decisionResolution on the National Day of the People’s Republic of ChinaThe official government history page names the resolution that declared October 1 National Day.

Original instrument adoption / decision date2 December 1949The official government history page gives December 2, 1949 as the date the resolution was passed.

Current facilitator / coordinatorState Council of the People’s Republic of ChinaCurrent State Council regulations and annual notices govern the national holiday schedule.

Why this exact date?October 1 commemorates the founding of the People’s Republic of China on 1 October 1949.The central government’s National Day history explicitly links October 1 to the 1949 founding ceremony.

4 fields not established in reviewed sources

Originator / proposerThe reviewed government summary identifies the establishing resolution but does not assign the observance to a single individual proposer.

First observanceThe reviewed sources establish the 1949 declaration and date but do not directly state the first completed recurring National Day observance.

Former nameNo former recurring name is established.

Former dateNo former recurring National Day date is established.

Later institutional actions

Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.

Superseding InstrumentMaintains National Day in the current statutory holiday framework with three holiday days on October 1–3.State Council of the People’s Republic of China · Decision of the State Council on Amending the Measures for National Holidays and Memorial Days · 10 November 2024The 2024 amendment is the current national-holiday regulation and lists National Day on October 1–3.

Source qualityHigh confidence

2 Primary institutional / legal

View all sources ↓

Names

Also known as

China National Day, National Day of China

How to Observe National Day

Read the central government’s National Day history page and the current national-holiday regulation.

For travel or business planning, check the State Council’s specific holiday schedule for the year in question.

Compare the fixed October 1 National Day identity with the multi-day statutory holiday and year-specific adjusted schedules.

When discussing the history, distinguish the October 1, 1949 founding event from the December 2 resolution that formally declared National Day.

National Day Facts

Fact 01

China’s National Day is October 1.

Fact 02

The Central People’s Government adopted the National Day resolution on December 2, 1949.

Fact 03

The date commemorates the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949.

Fact 04

Current national holiday regulations provide statutory National Day holidays on October 1–3.

Fact 05

Year-specific holiday periods may be longer because of State Council scheduling and adjusted workdays.

Classification

Topic and context

Civic, Remembrance & History →

Civic, Remembrance & History Civic Public Life

Accuracy notes

What this page does not assume

Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Remembrance Civic Context Care.

Evidence

Evidence & sources

Source policy →

Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.

Source 01english.www.gov.cn

Chinese Government — National Day (opens in a new tab)

Observance recordPrimary institutional / legalGuide sources

Government History · Government First Party

Source 02www.gov.cn

State Council — current national holiday regulation (opens in a new tab)

Observance recordPrimary institutional / legalGuide sources

Government Regulation · Government Legal

Questions & connections

Understand it, compare it, then explore further

Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.

Reader questions

Frequently asked questions

When is National Day?

1 October The documented recurrence rule is: 1 October.

Does National Day fall on the same date every year?

Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.

Is National Day an official public holiday?

The reviewed sources verify it within this scope: China. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when reliable evidence explicitly does so.

Who established or recognizes National Day?

The reviewed sources identify Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as State Council of the People’s Republic of China.

Is National Day international or country-specific?

This observance is specific to China. Its fuller verified scope is: China.

How is this page verified?

The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-10-02.

When is China’s National Day?

The National Day of the People’s Republic of China is October 1.

When was October 1 declared National Day?

China’s central government says the Central People’s Government passed the relevant resolution on December 2, 1949.

Why October 1?

The official government account links the date to the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1, 1949.

Is the holiday only one day?

The National Day identity is October 1, while current national holiday regulations provide statutory holiday days on October 1–3. Year-specific State Council schedules can create a longer holiday period with adjusted workdays.

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