Halloween in China 2026: Where It's Celebrated and How Locals See It

Quick answer: do people celebrate Halloween in China?

Yes, but not in the way most Western visitors expect. In mainland China, Halloween (万圣节, Wànshèngjié; the night itself is 万圣夜, Wànshèngyè) is not a public holiday and has no religious or family meaning for most people. It is mainly a commercial, dress-up and party occasion. It is most visible in theme parks, shopping malls, bars, international schools and the big cities’ entertainment districts.

In 2026, 31 October falls on a Saturday. That makes the last weekend of October the natural party weekend. Schools, offices, banks and government services keep their normal weekday and weekend schedules. Nothing closes for Halloween.

This guide covers where Halloween actually happens in 2026, how Chinese people tend to see it, and what to keep in mind if you plan to dress up. It also covers the traditional Chinese festivals for remembering the dead, which are the closest local equivalents.

Where Halloween is celebrated in 2026

The safest bet is the theme parks. They publish official dates, run themed nights, and are built for costumes and crowds. All dates below come from each resort’s own announcements. Always confirm tickets and nightly schedules in the official apps before you go.

Shanghai Disney Resort

According to Shanghai Disney Resort’s press release of 20 August 2026, Halloween runs from 4 October to 1 November 2026. This year marks the resort’s 10th birthday, and it has extended its evening “Spook-tacular Days” to ten dates: 16–18 October, 23–25 October, and 29 October–1 November. On those days the resort lists party zones, a maze in the Alice in Wonderland area, a Halloween treat party, trick-or-treat style treat collecting, and a Disney Villains celebration in front of the castle.

Outside the park, the release says Disneytown will host a trick-or-treat trail and a Halloween Market. That is useful if you want the atmosphere without a park ticket.

Universal Beijing Resort

Universal Beijing Resort’s autumn event is called Scares @ Universal, and the resort announced it runs from 4 September to 1 November 2026. The 2026 line-up has five haunted mazes. Two of them are new and based on Chinese franchises: The Grave Robbers’ Chronicles and the game Identity V. A third, The House of Hua Pi, is inspired by the classic ghost-story collection Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. That shows how Chinese parks blend imported Halloween with local horror traditions.

Key details from the resort’s official announcement:

Night-time experiences run Thursday to the following Monday each week.
They are not available on 17 September, 1 October and 8 October, and are added on 16 September, 30 September, 6 October and 28 October.
On night-time opening days the mazes operate 17:00–22:00 (queue cut-off). No separate ticket or online reservation is needed; you queue on site.
The resort’s daytime parade is suspended from 31 August to 6 November 2026.

Check the exact nightly calendar in Universal Beijing Resort’s official app or its WeChat or Alipay mini-programs.

Hong Kong: Ocean Park and Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong has the longest Halloween tradition in the region. Ocean Park’s Halloween Fest 2026 runs from 5 September to 1 November. Its official calendar lists day-and-night dates of 9–11, 16–19, 23–25 and 30–31 October and 1 November, from 10am to 11pm. The haunted houses need a separate combo ticket. Hong Kong Disneyland’s “Disney Halloween Time” runs from 18 September to 1 November 2026, according to the resort’s press room.

If you are combining Hong Kong with the mainland, our ferry guide for mainland–Hong Kong–Macau trips helps with the logistics.

Malls, bars and international schools

In Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu and other big cities, many shopping malls put up pumpkins and photo spots through October. Bars and restaurants in nightlife districts often run costume nights on the weekend nearest 31 October. International schools and kindergartens commonly hold costume days for pupils. There is no single “Halloween street” you can count on. Look for specific ticketed or venue-hosted events listed by the venue itself.

How Chinese people tend to see Halloween

You will hear a range of views. These patterns are broad, not universal:

Younger urban people often treat it as a fun, low-pressure excuse to dress up, take photos and go out with friends. Costume themes frequently come from Chinese games, anime and TV dramas rather than Western horror films.
Parents may see it mostly as a school or kindergarten activity, or as a family day at a theme park.
Older generations usually have little connection to it. Some see it as a “foreign festival” (洋节, yáng jié), a phrase that can be neutral or mildly sceptical, much like debates about Christmas shopping or Valentine’s Day.
For nearly everyone, it has no link to All Saints’ Day or to remembering the dead. Those meanings belong to Chinese festivals with their own dates and customs (see below).

In short, Halloween in China is something people do, not something people observe.

A word of caution about street parties

If you are in Shanghai, know that informal street gatherings have been met with tight crowd control in recent years. CNN reported in October 2024 that police put up barriers and kept a heavy presence along Julu Road, where people in costume had gathered the year before. Reports said some costumed revellers were led away. Rules and policing can change, so plan for the conservative case:

Celebrate at a venue (a theme park, bar, hotel or private party) rather than on the street.
Carry your passport. Under China’s Exit and Entry Administration Law, foreigners aged 16 or over must carry their passport or residence permit and show it to police on request.
Avoid costumes that imitate police, military or other official uniforms, and anything political, religious or mocking ethnic dress.
Follow police instructions about where to walk or stand, and avoid crowded pinch points.
Think about transport home. Our Beijing subway guide is a good primer on last trains and metro security checks, which work similarly in other big cities.

Costume and decoration etiquette

A few cultural notes help you avoid awkward moments:

White and funeral imagery. White is traditionally linked with mourning in China, and some funeral items carry real weight. Fake “hell banknotes” and paper offerings are a good example. Our guide to red vs white in Chinese gift culture explains the background.
No door-to-door trick-or-treating. Residential compounds are not set up for it, and neighbours will not expect it unless your compound or school has organised something.
Ask before photographing people in costume, the same as anywhere.

Halloween vs Chinese festivals for the dead

China has its own calendar of days for ancestors and wandering spirits, and they are far more meaningful to most families than Halloween. Dates below are verified against the Hong Kong Observatory’s 2026 Gregorian–lunar conversion table:

Ghost Festival (中元节, Zhongyuan): the 15th day of the 7th lunar month, which fell on 27 August 2026. Read our Ghost Festival guide.
Double Ninth Festival (重阳节, Chongyang): the 9th day of the 9th lunar month, Sunday 18 October 2026. It is associated with climbing heights, chrysanthemums, honouring elders and, in some places, visiting graves. See our Double Ninth 2026 guide.
Winter Clothes Day (寒衣节, Hanyi Jie): the 1st day of the 10th lunar month, Monday 9 November 2026. It is a traditional day, observed especially in parts of northern China, for symbolically “sending” warm clothes to ancestors by burning paper offerings.
Qingming (清明节, Tomb-Sweeping Day): the main spring day for visiting graves, and a statutory public holiday.

If you want a culturally richer October than costumes alone, pair a Halloween night with a Double Ninth hike.

FAQ

Is Halloween a public holiday in China?

No. 31 October 2026 is an ordinary Saturday in mainland China. Shops, transport and services follow their normal schedules.

Where is the best place to celebrate Halloween in China in 2026?

Theme parks have the most organised events: Shanghai Disney Resort (4 October–1 November), Universal Beijing Resort’s Scares @ Universal (4 September–1 November) and, in Hong Kong, Ocean Park (5 September–1 November) and Hong Kong Disneyland (18 September–1 November). Check official apps for nightly schedules.

Do Chinese kids go trick-or-treating?

Not door to door in ordinary neighbourhoods. Children usually experience Halloween at international schools, kindergartens, malls or theme parks, some of which run treat trails.

Can I wear a costume on the metro?

There is no specific Halloween rule, but metro security checks still apply. It is wise to keep masks and props in a bag until you reach your venue and to avoid anything that looks like an official uniform or a weapon.

What is the Chinese equivalent of Halloween?

The closest is the Ghost Festival (Zhongyuan) in the 7th lunar month. Winter Clothes Day, on 9 November 2026, and Qingming are also days for remembering the dead.

Bottom line

Halloween in China 2026 is a weekend of costumes and parties, not a holiday. It peaks on Saturday 31 October in theme parks, malls and bars. Go for the organised events, keep costumes sensible, carry your passport and skip informal street gatherings. Then explore the Chinese festivals that give autumn its deeper meaning. Lovely China, founded in 2025, welcomes corrections at [email protected].