Teachers’ Day in China Date in the current year: September 10, 2024

Teachers’ Day was officially established by the Chinese government on January 21, 1985. The “cultural revolution” in China reduced the number of intellectual workers, particularly teachers, and the government had to initiate this holiday to draw public attention to the importance of work of teachers and encourage young people to go into teaching.

The government didn't explain why the date on the holiday was fixed on September 10, Due to this, a number of proposals have been made to move the date of Teachers’ Day to September 28, which is the birthday of Confucius (by the way, this is the common day for Teachers’ Day celebrations in Taiwan).

The modern educational system of China is largely based on Western standards, so many Chinese educational traditions have been forgotten. For instance, disciples used to show their respect for teachers by washing their feet. Nowadays different festivals and meetings are held in schools across China to celebrate the holiday, and students give flowers and gifts to their teachers.