A lunisolar calendar setting the date of the Spring Festival across much of Asia.
The traditional Chinese calendar is lunisolar: months follow the moon, and a leap month is inserted to keep the year with the sun. Civil administration in China is Gregorian; the traditional calendar sets the festivals.
Its reach is much wider than China. The Spring Festival, Chuseok, Tết and Losar are reckoned on this calendar or on close relatives of it, so a single lunisolar calculation moves public holidays across a large part of Asia at once.
That simultaneity is the operational point. When these dates move they move for many countries together, and the resulting shutdowns overlap rather than stagger.
One lunisolar reckoning, two countries, the same day — which is why a shutdown on this calendar closes several economies at once.
| 🇨🇳 | Saturday 6 February 2027China | Spring FestivalThe start of the lunar new year. |
| 🇧🇳 | Saturday 6 February 2027Brunei | Chinese New YearThe same calculation, observed as a public holiday. |
Lunisolar is the family. The Chinese calendar is one member of it, with its own rules for the leap month.
See also lunisolar calendar · intercalation · hijri calendar
We hold this as rule_type: chinese_lunisolar. See what we hold.