GUIDES · TIME ZONES
China time zone: one clock for the whole country
Quick answer
China uses a single time zone, China Standard Time (Beijing Time, UTC+8), all year, with no daylight saving. Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau all show the same time, even though China is wide enough to span about five time zones. In Xinjiang in the far west, many people also use an unofficial local time two hours behind (UTC+6).
One time zone across five thousand kilometers
Mainland China stretches about 5,000 km from east to west. Countries that wide, such as the United States or Russia, use several time zones; China officially uses one, set to Beijing. The result is that the sun keeps very different hours in different parts of the country. In Beijing the sun is highest at about 12:15 PM. In Kashgar, in the far west, it’s highest at about 3:00 PM Beijing Time, so mornings stay dark late and evenings stay light late.
China most recently used daylight saving time from 1986 to 1991 and hasn’t used it since, so the clock never changes.
Xinjiang time
In the Xinjiang region, many people, especially Uyghur residents, use an unofficial Xinjiang time (also called Ürümqi time), two hours behind Beijing at UTC+6. Government offices, schools, airports and trains run on Beijing Time, while some shops and households keep local time. If you arrange something in Xinjiang, confirm which clock is meant.
Phones and computers use Asia/Shanghai for Beijing Time. The time zone database also includes Asia/Urumqi for Xinjiang time.
Meeting times with China
Because China doesn’t change its clocks, the gap with other countries only changes when they do.
| Compared with | Northern winter | Northern summer |
|---|---|---|
| New York | Beijing is 13 hours ahead | Beijing is 12 hours ahead |
| Los Angeles | Beijing is 16 hours ahead | Beijing is 15 hours ahead |
| London | Beijing is 8 hours ahead | Beijing is 7 hours ahead |
| Berlin | Beijing is 7 hours ahead | Beijing is 6 hours ahead |
| Sydney | Beijing is 3 hours behind | Beijing is 2 hours behind |
Mornings in China overlap with evenings in Europe and the previous evening in the Americas. A call at 8 AM in Beijing is the evening before in New York.
Common questions
How many time zones does China have?
Officially one: China Standard Time (Beijing Time, UTC+8), used across the whole country all year. In Xinjiang, many people also use an unofficial local time two hours behind, at UTC+6.
Does China have daylight saving time?
No. China most recently used daylight saving time from 1986 to 1991 and has stayed on UTC+8 all year since then.
Is Hong Kong the same time as Beijing?
Yes. Hong Kong and Macau use UTC+8 all year, the same clock time as Beijing and Shanghai.