What time is it in Shanghai right now?
Current Shanghai time, Asia/Shanghai time zone (GMT+08:00), daylight saving status, and the live time difference with major world cities.
Sunday, November 8, 2026 · GMT+08:00 · No daylight saving time
It is morning in Shanghai, China. Time zone: Asia/Shanghai.
GMT+08:00
Not observed
Typical office hours 09:00–18:00, Monday to Friday; the Shanghai Stock Exchange trades 09:30–15:00 with a lunch break.
Shanghai time difference with major cities
Live offset between Shanghai and key global cities. Values update automatically and account for daylight saving time on both sides.
| City | Local time | Difference vs Shanghai | Convert |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 22:01 | -13h | Shanghai to New York |
| London | 03:01 | -8h | Shanghai to London |
| Tokyo | 12:01 | +1h | Shanghai to Tokyo |
| Beijing | 11:01 | Same time | Shanghai to Beijing |
| Sydney | 14:01 | +3h | Shanghai to Sydney |
About time in Shanghai
Shanghai runs on China Standard Time — the single zone used across the entire country, from the coast to the far west. Remarkably, all of China, spanning roughly five geographic time zones, officially uses one clock set to Beijing and Shanghai time. In the far-western Xinjiang region this means the sun can rise near 10:00 by the official clock, and an unofficial local time runs two hours behind, a quirk unique to China’s single-zone policy. Shanghai does not observe daylight saving — it was used from 1986 to 1991 and then discontinued — so CST stays fixed at UTC+8 all year, making it a stable reference even as partner cities shift. The Shanghai Stock Exchange opens at 09:30 with a lunch break, and the week-long National Day holiday in early October and the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) cause the largest annual human migrations on Earth, freezing normal business rhythms. An accurate Shanghai time reference is essential for anyone trading with or travelling to China.
Location
Largest city by population in China on the central eastern coast, at the mouth of the Yangtze River delta.
Daylight saving rules
Does not observe daylight saving time. China used DST from 1986 to 1991 but discontinued it; CST is fixed at UTC+8 nationwide.
What Shanghai time is known for
- One time zone for all of China
- Shanghai Stock Exchange
- Spring Festival shutdown
Common questions about Shanghai time
What time is it in Shanghai right now?
It is currently 11:01 in Shanghai (Sunday, November 8, 2026), which is GMT+08:00.
What time zone is Shanghai in?
Shanghai uses the Asia/Shanghai time zone, currently GMT+08:00. Shanghai does not observe daylight saving time, so the offset stays the same all year.
Does Shanghai observe daylight saving time?
No. Shanghai stays on GMT+08:00 throughout the year. Does not observe daylight saving time. China used DST from 1986 to 1991 but discontinued it; CST is fixed at UTC+8 nationwide.
What is the time difference between Shanghai and New York?
Shanghai is +13h compared with New York. Check the table above for the live value, which can shift when either city changes its clocks.