Asia · China
Current time in Shanghai
China Standard Time.
Saturday, June 6, 2026
Daylight saving
Not observed
This zone has no seasonal clock change.
About Shanghai time
Shanghai keeps one clock.
In China's bustling metropolis of Shanghai, the workday hums to life as the sun arcs high over the Huangpu River, and by the time offices dim their lights, the neon glow along the Bund signals that collaboration with the Americas or Europe requires late-night emails or very early calls—Shanghai keeps the world’s largest city on a single, steady rhythm, with no clock shifts to worry about all year round.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about Shanghai's time zone, daylight saving rules, and scheduling across it. Can't find what you need? Email [email protected].
- Does Shanghai observe daylight saving time?
- Shanghai does not observe daylight saving time; China has used a single standard time since 1991.
- What is Shanghai's time zone abbreviation?
- Shanghai operates on China Standard Time (CST), which is UTC+8.
- Is Shanghai's time zone shared with other major cities?
- Yes, cities like Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, and Manila all share the same time.
- How does Shanghai's time zone affect global business?
- Being in UTC+8, Shanghai is well-placed for overlap with both Asian and Australian business hours.
- What is unique about China's time zone policy?
- Despite spanning five geographical time zones, all of China officially uses a single time zone.
- How many time zones does China geographically span?
- Geographically, China spans about five time zones from east to west.
- When was China's single time zone policy implemented?
- The single time zone policy was implemented in 1949.
- Does Shanghai's time differ from solar time?
- Shanghai's longitude is close to its standard meridian, so clock time aligns well with solar time.
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