Job Discussion Forums

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

I thought the official Qing Ming holiday was April 3rd this year, but I could be wrong. I reasoned, since it was on a Sunday, we'd have our usual weekend and then the following Monday (today) to make up for the holiday falling on a weekend. Makes sense, no? No! We worked a longer 6-day week, then get off Sunday-Monday-Tuesday like a lot of you. Whatever. At least this coming work week will be very short. For all of you that don't get told about holidays:

The next major holiday is May 1st, Labor Day. That too falls on a Sunday. You will probably work on Saturday, April 30th and then get off May 1st-2nd-3rd. Or not. Time to start making your inquiries NOW!

daCabbie · Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 244

My school had it listed as a holiday on their website at the beginning of the semester. Granted, the website is in Chinese and no one told me it was posted there. I found it by accident. My TA sent me a text message about the holiday break on Friday.

Students are always the best source for information, but you have to ask five classes and take the average answer.

The Ever-changing Cleric · Joined: 19 Feb 2009 Posts: 1523

choudoufu · Joined: 25 May 2010 Posts: 3325 Location: Mao-berry, PRC

our school schedule

tomb-sweeping: monday and tuesday off. monday is made up
the prior saturday.

labor day: monday and tuesday off. no make-up

dragon boat festival: monday off. no make-up

wangdaning · Joined: 22 Jan 2008 Posts: 3154

For Qingming I am off until Wednesday (go back on Wednesday). I don't work Fridays so that is 5 days no make up. The week after the students have Sports day, so another 5 days Wed, Thur, Fri + the weekend. For Labor Day we get the whole week, though I am doing a midterm on the Friday.

MisterButtkins · Joined: 03 Oct 2009 Posts: 1221

I'm in the same boat as most people here, it seems. At my university, I got Monday and Tuesday off, but I had to make up Monday's classes on Saturday. This was really lame for me, because I do not work on Fridays. So I had to work Thursday, then Saturday, and I get a 3-day weekend. Actually, I always get a 3-day weekend, so it's not really that cool. What is cool is that Tuesday is my heaviest day of teaching and I don't have to do that, so I have a very easy 2-day work week next week.

Oh, and my university handed me a schedule at the beginning of this semester that had all the holidays and makeup days listed. It looks like I won't have any special makeup classes for either Labor Day holiday (April 30th-May 2nd) or Dragon Boat festival (June 4th through 6th). They also handed me a reminder about 2 weeks ago reminding me of the special makeup day that was coming up, and another reminder about one week ago.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

As each individual school doesn't create the basic holidays (although they may add extra days off or your certain schedule may somehow give you an extra day or two off), then I'd hazard a guess that most of us will have the same 3-day holidays come May, then June. Thanks for the updates everyone!

El Chupacabra · Joined: 22 Jul 2009 Posts: 378 Location: Kwangchow

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

tomhume89 · Joined: 15 Feb 2011 Posts: 103 Location: Changsha

It's pretty standard to have to teach that extra day. Someone I know had to teach Monday's classes on Saturday, and then they squeezed in Tuesday's lessons in the free lessons so she had to teach 9 lessons in a row on Saturday!

lionheartuk · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Posts: 173 Location: Guangdong

The school I am at is on a 4 day break now but we have to work the next 9 days We will take a 5 day break for the May holiday and a 4 day break for the June holiday with no make up /extra days. The schedule is planned right through to the end of the semester.

DosEquisX · Joined: 09 Dec 2010 Posts: 361

I had to teach Monday classes on a Saturday. Otherwise, I had Monday and Tuesday off. Since I only had one class on Wednesday and have no class on Thursday and Friday, it was a one class week!

Mister Al · Joined: 28 Jun 2004 Posts: 840 Location: In there

2011 China Official Public Holiday policy issued by The General Office of The State Council on Dec. 9th 2010

1. New Year's Day: Holiday from Jan. 1st to Jan. 3rd, three days in total.

2. Spring Festival: Holiday from Feb. 2nd (Wed) to Feb. 8th (Tue), seven days in total. Jan. 30th (Sun.) and Feb. 12th (Sat.) will be working days.

3. Tomb-sweeping Day: Holiday from April 3rd (Sun) to April 5th (Tue)-three days in total. April 2nd (Sat.) will be a working day.

4. Labor Day: Holiday from April 30th to May 2nd -three days in total.

5. Dragon Boat Festival: Holiday from Jun. 4th to Jun. 6th -three days in total.

6. Mid-Autumn Festival: Holiday from Sept. 10th to Sept. 12th - three days in total.

7. National Day: Holiday from Oct. 1st to Oct. 7th, seven days in total, Oct.8th (Sat.) and Oct. 9th (Sun.) will be working days.

JayCee86 · Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Posts: 82

I love how in China if the Monday is a holiday then we are told you have a 3-day holiday, yet every other Saturday & Sunday is just the weekend, rather than being a "2-day holiday".

Forgot to say thanks for the list.

mat chen · Joined: 01 Nov 2009 Posts: 494 Location: xiangtan hunan

It's getting better here. When I first came 7 years ago I didn't like this working on Saturday and Sunday to make up days. I told my employer once I couldn't work on Saturday because I was Jewish. Then five months later I told the same employer I couldn't work on Sunday because I was Christian.
China is now trying to develope it's domestic economy and they realize that holidays increase spending.