China spans roughly five ‘natural’ time zones from west to east, yet the whole of mainland China officially runs on one clock: Beijing Time, UTC+8. There is no daylight saving time, so the offset never changes during the year.
Where these times apply
The times here are for mainland China. Hong Kong and Macau keep their own time zones, which currently show the same time (UTC+8). Taiwan is not included.
One official time since 1949
Before 1949 China used five time zones. The single Beijing Time standard means that in the far west the sun can rise after 9:30 a.m. in winter and set after 10 p.m. in summer, and daily schedules there often start later than in the east.
China tried daylight saving time from 1986 to 1991 and then abolished it.
Xinjiang’s unofficial time
In Xinjiang many people also refer to a local ‘Xinjiang time’ two hours behind Beijing. It has no official status — trains, flights and government offices run on Beijing Time — so always check which one an appointment uses.
Business hours in China
Offices commonly work 9:00 to 18:00 with a long lunch break around noon. Around the Spring Festival and National Day holidays the government shifts working days, so some Saturdays or Sundays become official workdays.
Clock changes in 2026 and 2027
No clock changes in 2026 or 2027: China Standard Time (Beijing Time); Xinjiang Time (informal); Hong Kong Time; Macau Time.