As in most countries, working hours vary depending on industry and company. The basic working day is comparable to the west, beginning at around 08:30 or 09:00 and ending early evening. Chinese workers, however, often work much longer hours, and at weekends. Expats in China can find themselves working later than they’re used to back home, particularly when making the adjustment to a new office and way of working. If you’re working for an international company, time differences mean it’s sometimes necessary to work into the evening to accommodate colleagues overseas.
There are three main times of the year when most Chinese people go on holiday for a week; during Chinese New Year, the first week of May and the first week of October.