Beijing Time
China Standard Time (UTC+8)
It is now 00:30:41 in Beijing. Date: Thursday, November 5, 2026, week 45 of 2026 · Lunar: 九月廿七.
Year progress
Major world cities
Each city below is a live local time and date ticking from the current moment; for fixed offsets only, see the “Beijing vs major cities” table below. For per-city comparison use the World Clock.
Time difference from Beijing
Beijing Time is fixed at UTC+8 with no daylight saving; the offsets below are computed live on the current date (US/EU DST shifts them by about 1 hour), perfect for answering “what is the difference between Beijing Time and a given city” or world-time comparisons. For the live time in New York, London, Tokyo, Sydney and others, compare city by city in the World Clock. All of China uses UTC+8, so Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing and Urumqi have no time difference from Beijing (though local solar time in places like Urumqi is about 2 hours behind), meaning “Shanghai time” and “Guangzhou time” are identical to Beijing Time.
Compared to Beijing now: 纽约 is behind Beijing by 13 h, 伦敦 is behind Beijing by 8 h, 东京 is ahead of Beijing by 1 h, 悉尼 is ahead of Beijing by 3 h
What Is Beijing Time (UTC+8)?
Beijing Time is the legal standard time used throughout China, abbreviated as CST (China Standard Time). It is fixed to the international timezone UTC+8 (East-8), running 8 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. The reference meridian of Beijing Time is longitude 120°E, not Beijing’s local longitude (about 116.4°E); since Earth rotates about 4 minutes per degree, true solar time in Beijing is roughly 14 minutes behind Beijing Time. China spans about 5 timezones from the East-5 to the East-9 zone, yet the whole country unifies on Beijing Time (UTC+8) to coordinate administration, transport and the economy. As the legal standard, Beijing Time is defined against UTC+8 and is produced, maintained and broadcast by the National Time Service Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences (in Lintong, Xi’an, Shaanxi). China’s communications, transport and finance systems all follow it. This page shows the current Beijing Time down to milliseconds together with a Unix timestamp, ideal for clock calibration and time-setting reference.
Beijing Time Calibration: How to Sync, and Is It Accurate?
The page calibrates against the server on load and shows the current Beijing Time (UTC+8), accurate to the millisecond and auto-refreshing — no manual action needed. It is rendered in East-8 regardless of your device’s clock, and also shows the current date, weekday, lunar calendar date, ISO week number, Unix timestamp, and Beijing’s sunrise, sunset and day length, useful for watch calibration, phone time-setting and day-to-day scheduling. To sync your phone: open this page and use the calibrated standard time as your reference, then manually set your phone’s system time to match; if auto time is enabled the system usually syncs itself over the network. The page also detects the offset of your device clock from standard time: if your computer or phone is a few seconds fast/slow it reports “Your device time is N seconds slow, auto-corrected,” so you can tell the direction and size of the error. For timing-critical scenarios such as flash sales or limited-time purchases, open the page beforehand to confirm your device offset; if the error is large, correct it manually before the event so you don’t miss the exact moment. For world times use the World Clock, for timestamp conversion the Timestamp Converter, for date intervals the Date Calculator, and for the lunar calendar and solar terms the Perpetual Calendar.
Windows PC: How to Sync with Beijing Time
Right-click the clock in the taskbar and choose “Adjust date/time.” In Settings, turn “Set time automatically” off and then back on so the system syncs with the network time server. To calibrate manually: click “Change,” then set the date and time to match the Beijing Time shown on this page. You can also open Control Panel → Clock and Region → Date and Time → Internet Time, click “Update now,” and sync with an Internet time server.
Mac: How to Sync with Beijing Time
Open “System Settings → General → Date & Time” (the same path applies on macOS Ventura and later), enable “Set time and date automatically,” and the system syncs with Apple’s network time servers automatically. To calibrate manually: disable auto-setting and adjust the time to match the Beijing Time shown on this page. Mac supports NTP out of the box, so it usually stays accurate without manual steps.
Android: How to Sync with Beijing Time
Open “Settings → Date & time” (on some brands it is “Settings → System → Date & time” or “Settings → General management → Date & time”), enable “Set automatically” or “Use network-provided values,” and the phone syncs with the carrier or network time server. To calibrate manually: turn auto-setting off and adjust the time to match this page. Android enables auto time-setting by default; if the time is off, try toggling auto-setting off and back on.
iPhone: How to Sync with Beijing Time
Open “Settings → General → Date & Time”, enable “Set Automatically,” and the iPhone syncs with Apple’s network time servers — normally no manual step is needed. To calibrate manually: disable auto-setting and adjust the time to match this page. iPhone keeps time very accurately by default; if you notice an offset, try turning auto-setting off and back on, or restart the phone.
For BaZi chart analysis you need the exact birth hour; near boundary hours (e.g. 23:00 when the Zi hour crosses midnight) it must be precise to the minute. Confirm the current Beijing Time on this page first, then use the BaZi Chart tool to make sure the birth hour is entered correctly.
Beijing Time vs UTC & GMT (Why China Has No Daylight Saving Time)
UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) is the current international time standard; GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) is treated as roughly equivalent to UTC in daily use. Beijing Time is fixed at UTC+8, i.e. 8 hours ahead of UTC (for example, when it is 12:00 UTC it is 20:00 in Beijing). The whole of China uses Beijing Time with no daylight saving, while the US and Europe turn clocks forward in summer (New York is UTC-4 in DST and UTC-5 in winter) — so the China–US offset shifts between 12 and 13 hours by season. Understanding timezone and DST differences helps with cross-border meetings, travel and cross-timezone reconciliation. You can compare live offsets in the World Clock, or plan using the Holiday Schedule and the 24 Solar Terms.
Today’s Lunar Date and Weekday
The clock card shows the current Beijing date, weekday and Chinese lunar date (e.g. “Saturday, July 25, 2026 · Lunar 6-12”) in real time, plus the ISO week number (weeks start on Monday). The lunar calendar is the traditional lunisolar calendar used for festivals such as Spring Festival, Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn, and for the 24 solar terms. For any date’s lunar calendar, solar terms and day recommendations, use the Perpetual Calendar.
How Many Days to the Next Solar Term / Public Holiday
The “Reminders” area computes the days until the nearest solar term and public holiday based on the day you open the page: if today is itself a term or holiday it is flagged directly; otherwise it shows “N days until the next solar term” and “N days until the next public holiday (e.g. Spring Festival, National Day).” Whether you ask “How many days until Spring Festival?” before the holiday or “How soon is National Day?”, the page always computes the exact count from today. Solar terms follow the 24-term calendar and public holidays follow that year’s official arrangement. For travel and leave planning see the Holiday Schedule and the 24 Solar Terms.
Sunrise, Sunset and Day Length in Beijing Today
The page shows today’s Beijing sunrise, sunset and day length in real time, computed with an astronomical algorithm from Beijing’s coordinates (about 39.9°N, 116.4°E) and the date, accurate to about ±1 minute. Sunrise and sunset shift with the seasons — longest days around the summer solstice and shortest around the winter solstice. Combine this with the solar terms to understand daylight patterns. For other cities’ sunrise and sunset use the World Clock.
Unix Timestamp and Current Beijing Time
Beneath the clock card the page shows the current Unix timestamp (seconds since 1970-01-01 UTC), ticking with Beijing Time — handy for developers checking server time or converting timestamps. A Unix timestamp is timezone-independent and identical worldwide at the same instant. To convert a timestamp to a specific date and time, use the Timestamp Converter.
Beijing Time FAQ
What is Beijing Time?
Beijing Time is the legal standard time used across China, corresponding to the international timezone UTC+8. It is based on the local mean time of the 120°E meridian and is 8 hours ahead of UTC. The whole country uses Beijing Time, though local time (true solar time) in western regions like Xinjiang is actually about 2 hours behind it.
What is online Beijing Time calibration for?
Online calibration shows the current China Standard Time in hours, minutes, seconds and milliseconds — accurate enough to adjust a watch, clock or computer clock. The page also shows the Unix timestamp so developers can verify server time.
Is the Beijing Time shown accurate?
The page calibrates against the server time interface on load, then keeps time from the calibrated value in UTC+8. So even if your device clock was changed manually or never synced, the Beijing Time shown is still accurate. Because of network round-trip error (a few hundred milliseconds) the millisecond reading is not absolutely exact; if the time server is temporarily unavailable it falls back to the device system clock. For sub-second precision, use a dedicated NTP tool.
How do I understand Beijing Time’s timezone? Why does China have only one?
China is vast, spanning about 5 longitude-derived timezones, yet the whole country uses Beijing Time (UTC+8) as its legal time. The far west of Xinjiang is actually about 2 hours behind Beijing in local time, so local schedules shift accordingly. A single timezone simplifies nationwide administration, transport and day-to-day coordination.
Can Beijing Time be shown to the millisecond?
The clock displays milliseconds (1/1000 of a second) from your device’s system clock. If the device has synced over the network the ms reading is close to standard time; if the device clock itself is off, the millisecond value carries the same offset.
What is the difference between Beijing Time, UTC and GMT?
UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) is the current international standard; GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) is treated as roughly equal to UTC in daily use. Beijing Time is fixed at UTC+8, 8 hours ahead of UTC/GMT (e.g. 12:00 UTC = 20:00 Beijing). China uses Beijing Time with no daylight saving, while the US and Europe shift 1 hour in summer — so overseas offsets change by 12–13 hours with the season.
World Clock for live offsets →What week number is it in Beijing Time now?
Below the date the page shows the current “week X” computed per the international ISO 8601 standard (weeks start Monday; the first week of the year must contain the year’s first Thursday). For instance, if Jan 1 falls on a Friday it belongs to week 52/53 of the previous year, and week 1 starts from the first Monday. For calendar-month statistics, pair it with the perpetual calendar.
View the perpetual calendar →How far through today, this month and this year are we?
The “Time Progress” area shows a live percentage for today, this month and this year: today’s progress is the share of the current time within the 24-hour day (including milliseconds, moving smoothly); the month progress is the share of days elapsed in the month; the year progress is the share of days elapsed in the year (365 in a common year, 366 in a leap year). It also shows “hours until today ends” and “days until this month/year ends.” For example, in early July the year progress is near 50%, so you can see at a glance how much of the year is used and remaining.
Use the date calculator for day spans →What time is sunrise and sunset in Beijing today?
Below the clock card the page shows Beijing’s sunrise, sunset and day length for the day, computed with an astronomical algorithm from Beijing’s coordinates (about 39.9°N, 116.4°E) and the date, accurate to about ±1 minute. Sunrise/sunset change daily with the seasons — longest days around the summer solstice, shortest around the winter solstice; combined with the 24 solar terms you can follow the pattern of daylight.
Check sunrise & sunset for other cities →What is the time difference between Beijing and New York, London and Tokyo?
Beijing Time is UTC+8, fixed year-round. Offsets to major cities vary with their daylight-saving rules: in winter New York is 13 hours behind Beijing, London 8 hours behind, Tokyo 1 hour ahead; in summer (US/EU DST) New York is 12 hours behind, London 7, and Tokyo stays 1 hour ahead. The “Beijing vs major cities” table below gives the live offset for each city on the current date.
World Clock for per-city comparison →Why doesn’t Beijing Time use daylight saving?
China used daylight saving from 1986 to 1991, then abolished it in 1992 and has used Beijing Time (UTC+8) year-round since. As a result the offset to DST-observing countries (e.g. the US, Europe) shifts by about 1 hour across the year. A uniform, non-shifting clock keeps national transport, production and daily schedules coordinated.
What is the timezone identifier for Beijing Time?
The IANA timezone identifier for Beijing Time is Asia/Shanghai (technically covering all of China, including Chongqing and Urumqi, though western local time is actually about 2 hours behind). It is fixed at UTC+8 and is distinct from the geographic “local Beijing time.” When converting timezones, developers should use Asia/Shanghai rather than manually adding/subtracting 8 hours, to avoid errors from future zone or policy changes.
Why is Beijing Time called the “East-8” zone?
Timezones are divided every 15° of longitude, 24 in total. Beijing Time is based on the local mean time of the 120°E meridian; 120°E lies in the 8th zone east of Greenwich (0°) (120÷15=8), so it is called the East-8 zone, written UTC+8. Geographically China spans about 5 zones from East-5 to East-9, but the whole country uses the East-8 Beijing Time to coordinate administration, transport and daily routines.
How much does true solar time differ from Beijing Time?
Beijing Time is based on the local mean time of the 120°E meridian, not Beijing’s own longitude. Beijing sits at about 39.9°N, 116.4°E, about 3.6° west of 120°E; Earth rotates about 4 minutes per degree, so true solar time in Beijing runs about 14 minutes behind Beijing Time ((120−116.4)×4≈14 min). In other words, “local time” judged from the sun’s position (e.g. solar noon) is about a quarter-hour later than Beijing Time. For astronomy, traditional calendars or Feng Shui calculations, distinguish “Beijing Time” from “Beijing local time.”
What time is it in Beijing right now (hour, minute, second)?
The large clock at the top shows the current Beijing Time as “hour:minute:second.millisecond” (e.g. 14:30:45.123), auto-refreshing every second and accurate to the millisecond — i.e. “what time it is in Beijing now.” The time is server-calibrated and rendered in UTC+8, so it is unaffected by your device clock and can be used directly to calibrate a watch or a phone.
How do I set or calibrate my phone against Beijing Time?
Open this page to see the server-calibrated standard Beijing Time (UTC+8), compare it with your phone’s system time, and manually adjust the phone to match. The page shows milliseconds and refreshes live, suitable for calibrating a watch, computer or phone. If “auto time” is enabled, the system syncs over the network itself, usually within about 1 second.
Is it today or tomorrow in Beijing Time (cross-timezone date change)?
Beijing Time is fixed at East-8 (UTC+8), and its “today/tomorrow” follows the date in Beijing. When you are in other timezones, Beijing may be a day away: e.g. if it is July 25 02:00 Beijing time, London (DST, UTC+1) is still July 24 19:00 and Tokyo (UTC+9) is already July 25 03:00. Use the world clock to see each city’s current date.
World Clock to view dates by city →What is the time difference between Beijing and Tokyo or Sydney?
Beijing Time is UTC+8, fixed year-round with no daylight saving. Tokyo is UTC+9, 1 hour ahead of Beijing; Sydney is UTC+10 (UTC+11 during DST), 2 hours ahead of Beijing (3 during DST). The “Beijing vs major cities” table below gives the live offset for Tokyo, Sydney and others on the current date.
How do I read the lunar calendar in Beijing Time? What is today’s lunar date?
The clock card shows the current Beijing lunar date (e.g. “Lunar 6-12”) in real time, alongside the Gregorian date and weekday, plus the week number of the year. The lunar calendar is the traditional lunisolar calendar used to calculate festivals such as Spring Festival, Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn, and the 24 solar terms. For any date’s lunar calendar and solar terms, use the permanent calendar.
View lunar calendar & solar terms →What day of the week is it in Beijing today?
The clock card shows the current Beijing Gregorian date and weekday (e.g. “Saturday, July 25, 2026”) in real time, plus the lunar date and ISO week number (weeks start Monday). The weekday updates with the date, so opening the page tells you today’s weekday in Beijing directly — no manual calculation. For any date’s weekday, use the perpetual calendar.
My computer or phone is a few seconds off from Beijing Time — how do I fix it?
Open this page to see the server-calibrated standard Beijing Time (UTC+8). The page detects the offset between your device clock and standard time: if your phone or computer is a few seconds fast/slow it shows “your device time is N seconds slow, auto-corrected” and displays the corrected time directly — no manual math needed. Set the system time to match the page to finish calibration; if “auto time” is on, the system syncs itself, usually within about 1 second.
Is millisecond-level Beijing Time calibration accurate?
The page calibrates against the server time interface on load and keeps time from the calibrated value in UTC+8, so the Beijing Time shown is accurate to the millisecond and unaffected by your device clock. The real error in the ms reading depends on your network round-trip to the time server, typically on the order of a few hundred milliseconds; for sub-second professional timing use a dedicated NTP tool. For everyday watch adjustment, phone time-setting and server timestamp checks, this page is more than enough.
How many days until Spring Festival or National Day?
The “Reminders” area computes the exact days until the next public holiday (Spring Festival, National Day, Labour Day, etc.) on the current date, flagging it directly when today is itself a holiday. Spring Festival follows the first day of the first lunar month for that year; National Day is fixed at Oct 1. See the holiday schedule page for the full-year leave calendar.
View the full-year holiday schedule →What is the difference between Beijing Time and Xinjiang or Lhasa time?
All of China uses Beijing Time (UTC+8), so Xinjiang and Lhasa have no timezone difference from Beijing — phones and computers show exactly the same time. But Xinjiang (e.g. Urumqi) sits geographically in the East-6 zone, where local (solar) time is about 2 hours behind Beijing; Lhasa is likewise about 1–2 hours behind in local time. “Xinjiang time” and “Lhasa time” therefore equal Beijing Time in official measurement — only true solar time differs.
Who publishes Beijing Time, and who is responsible for it?
Beijing Time (China Standard Time) is produced, maintained and broadcast by the National Time Service Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The country’s communications, transport, finance and broadcasting systems all follow this standard. The time base on this page comes from the center’s timekeeping system, so the Beijing Time shown here is authoritative and accurate.
Is it day or night in Beijing now? How are early morning, morning, afternoon and evening divided?
Roughly by current Beijing clock: 06:00–12:00 is morning, 12:00–18:00 afternoon, 18:00–24:00 evening/night, and 00:00–06:00 deep night/early morning. The large clock at the top shows the live Beijing time (hour:minute:second) to compare against these periods; more precisely, pair it with today’s sunrise/sunset: you are in daytime after sunrise and before sunset, and in night otherwise.
How do I convert Beijing Time to New York, London or Tokyo time?
Formula: target time = Beijing Time + (target zone’s UTC offset − 8) hours. For example, New York in winter (UTC−5) is Beijing − 13 hours; London in DST (UTC+1) is Beijing − 7 hours; Tokyo (UTC+9) is always Beijing + 1 hour. Note that the US and Europe observe DST, so winter/summer offsets differ by 1 hour; the “Beijing vs major cities” table below already computes today’s live offsets, so no manual math is needed.
World Clock for live times →Why does Beijing Time differ from my device’s local time? How do I convert?
The page always shows Beijing Time in East-8 (UTC+8), which may differ from your device’s local time: outside the East-8 zone, the difference = your zone’s UTC offset − 8 hours. In Tokyo (UTC+9) local time is 1 hour ahead of Beijing; in New York (UTC−5 in winter) it is 13 hours behind. Mind US/EU daylight saving when converting — the World Clock shows the live time and date for your city.
World Clock for your local time →