Current Time in Shanghai
The clock shows the time in Shanghai to the second. All of mainland China, from Shanghai to Kashgar, runs on China Standard Time, UTC+8.
Current time in Shanghai
- IANA zone
- Current time in Shanghai
UTC+8
China Standard Time, one clock for the whole of mainland China
Also called Beijing Time. No summer time since 1991.
One time zone for all of China
China stretches across about 60 degrees of longitude, enough for five time zones, but since 1949 the country has used a single clock. In Shanghai, near the east coast, that matches the sun well. In the far west it does not: in Kashgar the sun can rise after 10:00 AM in winter on Beijing Time.
The National Time Service Center in Shaanxi keeps the official time and broadcasts it by radio. Phones and computers use the Asia/Shanghai entry of the IANA time zone database for all of the mainland.
Even far-flung parts of the country such as Tibet and Xinjiang officially keep the same hour as Shanghai.
- IANA zone
- Asia/Shanghai
- Standard time
- CST · UTC+8
- Daylight saving time
- Not observed
China Standard Time is also "CST"
The same three letters stand for Central Standard Time in the US, UTC−6, fourteen hours behind Shanghai. When scheduling with North America, write "Beijing time" or "UTC+8".
Shanghai and the rest of the world
| City | In January | In July |
|---|---|---|
| Honolulu | −18 | −18 |
| Anchorage | −17 | −16 |
| Seattle | −16 | −15 |
| Denver | −15 | −14 |
| Vancouver | −15 | −15 |
| Houston | −14 | −13 |
| Lima | −13 | −13 |
| Toronto | −13 | −12 |
| Washington, D.C. | −13 | −12 |
| Buenos Aires | −11 | −11 |
| São Paulo | −11 | −11 |
| London | −8 | −7 |
| Amsterdam | −7 | −6 |
| Berlin | −7 | −6 |
| Madrid | −7 | −6 |
| Paris | −7 | −6 |
| Zurich | −7 | −6 |
| Athens | −6 | −5 |
| Cairo | −6 | −5 |
| Johannesburg | −6 | −6 |
| Doha | −5 | −5 |
| Nairobi | −5 | −5 |
| Riyadh | −5 | −5 |
| Dubai | −4 | −4 |
| Delhi | −2:30 | −2:30 |
| Dhaka | −2 | −2 |
| Ho Chi Minh City | −1 | −1 |
| Kuala Lumpur | 0 | 0 |
| Manila | 0 | 0 |
| Perth | 0 | 0 |
| Taipei | 0 | 0 |
| Seoul | +1 | +1 |
| Brisbane | +2 | +2 |
| Melbourne | +3 | +2 |
| Sydney | +3 | +2 |
Hours to add to the time in Shanghai; a minus sign means the other city is behind
China's one offset makes it easy to work out the gap: it changes only when the other city changes its clocks. Paris and Berlin are seven hours behind Shanghai in the European summer and eight in winter. The US West Coast is sixteen hours behind in winter and fifteen in summer.
For the full hour grid against New York, the China CST to EST converter does the work; the Taipei clock shows the same offset across the strait.
For people in Shanghai, the practical issue is calls with the West. A 9:00 AM call in Shanghai reaches London at 1:00 AM in winter, so most Europe calls happen in the Shanghai afternoon or evening.
Shanghai time questions
What time zone is Shanghai in?
China Standard Time, also called Beijing Time, UTC+8. It is the only official time zone in mainland China.
Does China change its clocks for summer?
No. China used summer time from 1986 to 1991 and has kept UTC+8 all year since.
How many hours is Shanghai ahead of New York?
Thirteen hours during US standard time and twelve during US daylight time.
Is Shanghai time the same as Hong Kong time?
Yes. Hong Kong, Macau and Taipei also use UTC+8.
What time is it in western China?
Officially the same as in Shanghai, though in Xinjiang many people also use an unofficial local time two hours behind.