China offers a variety of key dates which provide opportunities for brands to run special promotions and campaigns. Below is a guide to some of the more significant events in the 2018 Chinese calendar.
Valentine’s Day: 14 February
While Valentine’s Day has been imported from the West, it is celebrated by a growing number of Chinese people who exchange gifts with their loved one, creating the perfect opportunity to offer special promotions.
Chinese New Year and Spring Festival Golden Week: 16 - 21 February
E-stores are often closed for the first 10 days of the New Year, which is a national holiday. The months leading up to the Chinese New Year are a great time for themed promotions of gifts, furniture, food and clothing. It is essential that any orders are dispatched before the final week of the year, so they are received in time for the celebration.
Qixi Festival: 17th August
This festival is the Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day. It is often called Double Seven day, as it occurs on the 7th Day of the 7th month of the Chinese calendar. The festival centres around the celebration of two characters from Chinese mythology who fall in love, and it presents similar gift-giving promotional opportunities to Valentine's Day.
Mid-Autumn Festival: 24 September
The mid-autumn festival is the Chinese Harvest Festival, also known as the Moon Festival. This holiday focuses on food, so it's a time when many consumers will be looking to buy imported fruit, wine and cake. Hampers of food are especially popular gifts.
National Day and Golden Week: 1 - 7 October
National Day itself (1st October) and the two days following it are a public holiday. Weekends are rearranged so that many workers enjoy a seven day break. This is a time when many Chinese people will travel, so it is an excellent opportunity for companies that wish to target the Chinese tourist spend.