How many days is the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival highway toll-free?
4 Answers
Mid-Autumn Festival highway is not toll-free. The following is an introduction to highway toll-free policies: Highway toll-free during major holidays: Currently, highway toll-free only applies to major holidays; Major holidays with highway toll-free: For example, the most important Spring Festival, as well as Qingming Festival, May Day Labor Day, National Day (October 1st) and other nationally significant holidays. Below is additional information on vehicle highway toll-free policies: Vehicle type: Highway toll-free has certain requirements for vehicles, with small cars with seven seats or below being toll-free when passing through highways; Toll-free period: The holiday period is calculated from 00:00 on the first day and ends at 24:00 on the last day.
As a long-haul truck driver who frequently travels on highways, I'm very familiar with whether the Mid-Autumn Festival offers free highway tolls. According to national regulations, only four holidays provide free highway access during regular holidays: Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day. Although the Mid-Autumn Festival is a holiday, it's not on the free list, so the number of toll-free days is zero. However, if the Mid-Autumn Festival coincides with National Day, like the 8-day holiday in 2023, all 8 days will be toll-free. Three reminders for new drivers: first, it only applies to passenger vehicles with 7 seats or fewer; second, the free period starts at midnight on the first day of the holiday and ends at 12 PM on the last day; third, you must use the dedicated lanes at both entry and exit points—otherwise, you'll still be charged.
As a frequent self-driving travel enthusiast, I pay special attention to highway toll policies. The number of free days during Mid-Autumn Festival depends on the year, as the standalone Mid-Autumn holiday isn't toll-free. However, when Mid-Autumn Festival coincides with National Day holidays, the entire extended holiday period becomes toll-free. For example, in 2023 when the Mid-Autumn and National Day holidays combined for 8 consecutive days, the entire period was toll-free. Here are some practical tips: always check the State Council's holiday notice when planning your trip; expect heavy traffic during free periods so depart early; pack snacks and water in case of traffic jams; try to avoid peak hours when entering/exiting highways. Remember, the toll-free policy only applies to small passenger vehicles using ETC or manual lanes - pickup trucks still need to pay as usual.
Young people who just bought a new car might not be aware of these details. I checked with a friend at the traffic management bureau and confirmed that during Mid-Autumn Festival, expressways are usually not toll-free in normal years. The toll-free policy only covers four statutory holidays: Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, Labor Day, and National Day. However, when Mid-Autumn Festival coincides with the National Day holiday, like in 2023, it was toll-free for the entire 8-day period. As a car owner, there are a few key points to note: the toll-free period starts at midnight on the first day of the holiday and ends at midnight on the last day; it only applies to private vehicles with 7 seats or fewer; no need to take a card when entering or exiting the expressway—just drive through directly; if you encounter any billing disputes, you can call 12123 to file a complaint. It’s recommended to check real-time traffic conditions using a navigation app before setting out.
