The week that feels slightly upside down

Golden Week ends on Wednesday 7 October 2026, and the first week back is an odd one. Under the State Council’s 2026 holiday notice (国办发明电〔2025〕7号), the National Day holiday runs from 1 to 7 October, and Saturday 10 October is a makeup workday. So most offices reopen on Thursday 8 October, work Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and rest on Sunday 11 October before a normal week starts on Monday 12 October.

For foreign staff, the restart is easy to underestimate. Your inbox is full, your team is tired from travel, your overseas head office may not know about the Saturday, and the weather has probably turned. This back to work after Golden Week 2026 checklist covers the practical things to sort out before Thursday and during the first week. Teachers should also read our classroom reset tips after Golden Week.

Before Thursday: the night-before checklist

Confirm your schedule in writing

• Check your company’s notice for 8–10 October. Most employers follow the State Council calendar, but your contract and company policy decide your exact hours.
• Confirm the Saturday. If you are expected in on 10 October, put it in your calendar now. Our makeup workday guide explains how it works and how to explain it to colleagues abroad.
• Tell your overseas team. Send a short note: “China’s Golden Week ends 7 October; we work 8, 9 and 10 October (Saturday), and Sunday 11 October is off.” It saves a lot of confused meeting invitations.

Plan your journey home if you are still away

If you are travelling back on 6 or 7 October, you are part of the return peak. Read our Golden Week day six return-peak guide for rail and road tips, and keep 12306 waitlists running if your train is sold out. If you cannot get back in time, tell your manager early and ask about leave rather than hoping for the best.

Reset your home

• Clear the fridge of holiday leftovers you won’t eat.
• Check deliveries you ordered during the holiday. Couriers can run a backlog after long holidays; our courier delays guide explains why.
• Charge everything: phone, laptop, metro card, power bank.
• Lay out work clothes suitable for cooler weather. Many cities feel noticeably colder after the first week of October.

Thursday 8 October: the first morning back

Commuting

The first workday after a long holiday can bring busy metro trains and roads, especially in the morning as people return directly from stations. Leave earlier than usual if you can. Our China metro etiquette guide is a useful refresher if you are new.

Office etiquette

• Small talk is expected. “How was your holiday?” (假期过得怎么样？) is a normal opener. Ask colleagues about their trips home.
• Snacks from home are common. Colleagues may bring local snacks from their hometowns to share. If you travelled, bringing something small for the team is a kind gesture, not an obligation.
• Don’t schedule a heavy meeting at 9:00. Many people arrived late the night before. A short check-in followed by focused work tends to go better.
• Be patient with replies. Suppliers, landlords and government offices are all catching up at the same time.

Inbox triage

1. Reply first to anything with a deadline this week.

2. Group “Happy holidays” messages into one quick reply each.

3. Flag tasks that depend on Chinese partners and expect slower answers on 8–9 October.

Friday and Saturday: getting through the long week

Three workdays in a row after a holiday, ending on a Saturday, can feel tiring. A few ideas:

• Plan Saturday lightly. Use it for admin, planning and catching up rather than big launches.
• Check school calendars. Many schools also follow the makeup schedule. If you have children, read your school’s notice and our school calendar guide for foreign parents.
• Book a treat for Sunday 11 October. A rest day you have looked forward to makes the Saturday easier.

October dates to put in your calendar now

The first week back is a good time to look ahead. These are dates with an official or published source:

• 8 October 2026: Cold Dew (Hanlu) solar term, a cue that mornings are getting colder. See our Cold Dew notes.
• 10 October 2026 (Saturday): makeup workday, per the State Council notice.
• 15–19 October 2026: Canton Fair phase one in Guangzhou, according to the Ministry of Commerce’s introduction to the 140th session. Phases two and three follow later in October and into early November. If you buy or sell, read our Canton Fair autumn 2026 guide.
• 18 October 2026 (Sunday): Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang), a traditional day to visit older relatives and climb hills. It is not a public holiday.
• Mid-October onward: Singles’ Day presales. Major shopping platforms run deposit and presale periods well before 11 November. Our Singles’ Day 2026 presale guide explains how deposits and final payments work.
• Heating season in the north. Several northern cities start central heating in October and November, and some start early in cold years. Check our northern China heating season 2026 guide for city dates.

Admin to tidy up in the first week

Visa and residence permit

If your residence permit or visa expires in the next few months, check the date now. Exit-entry offices are often busy right after holidays, so book an appointment early through your local public security exit-entry service. Do not leave renewals until the last week.

Rent and utilities

If rent or utility bills fell due during the holiday, confirm they were paid. Our guide to paying rent and utilities around Golden Week covers common payment channels. In the north, ask your landlord now about the heating fee: who pays, how much, and by when.

Health

Long trips, crowded stations and a sudden change in weather can leave people run down. If you need a doctor, our guide to hospital outpatient registration for foreigners explains the process.

Leave balance

If you used annual leave around the holiday, check your remaining balance and plan any year-end leave now. Many teams build their late-year schedules in October.

If you work remotely or freelance

Even without an office, the restart affects you. Chinese clients, banks and couriers return on 8 October, so expect a wave of messages that day. A few habits help:

• Send invoices on Thursday or Friday, when finance teams are back, rather than during the holiday.
• Set an auto-reply until 8 October if you took the holiday off, with the date you will reply.
• Remember the Saturday. Clients may expect answers on 10 October, so decide in advance whether you will be available and say so.
• Watch the time difference with overseas clients, who may have kept working through Golden Week and now expect fast replies.

A note for managers of mixed teams

If you manage both Chinese and foreign staff, a short message on 7 October helps everyone:

• Confirm the working days (8, 9 and 10 October) and the Sunday rest day.
• Flag any meetings with overseas offices that fall on Saturday.
• Allow some flexibility on Thursday morning for people coming straight from the station.
• Thank people who covered holiday duty.

FAQ

When do I go back to work after Golden Week 2026?

For most employers, Thursday 8 October 2026. Check your company notice, because some industries, such as retail and hospitality, work different schedules.

Is Saturday 10 October really a workday?

Yes. The State Council’s 2026 notice lists Saturday 10 October as a working day to make up for the holiday. Sunday 11 October is a normal rest day.

Do I get paid extra for the makeup Saturday?

A makeup workday is a normal working day under the official calendar, not overtime. Your contract and local labour rules apply; ask HR if you are unsure.

My train home is sold out. What should I tell my manager?

Tell them early, explain the options you have tried, and ask whether you can take leave or work remotely for a day. Honesty works better than a last-minute message.

What should I bring back for colleagues?

Nothing is required. A small box of snacks from where you travelled is a friendly gesture.

Bottom line

The week after Golden Week 2026 runs Thursday to Saturday, so confirm the makeup Saturday, warn your overseas team, leave early for the first commute and use the week to get ahead on October dates and admin. Lovely China, founded in 2025, welcomes corrections at [email protected].