Beijing · Beijing Municipality · China · East Asia
Current Time in Beijing
NTP-synchronised live clock · CST UTC+8 — no daylight saving time · Weather, world city comparison & complete city guide
UTC Offset…
Daylight SavingNo ⏰
vs New York…
Population~22 mil.
The exact current time in Beijing is displayed live above, synchronised with international NTP servers. The capital of the People's Republic of China operates on CST (China Standard Time), permanently fixed at UTC+8 throughout the year. China has maintained a single official time zone for the entire country since 1949, and has not observed daylight saving time since 1991 — meaning Beijing clocks never change. … The IANA time zone identifier is Asia/Shanghai (CST, UTC+8), used for all of mainland China including Beijing.
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Beijing Time vs Major World Cities – Live Comparison
| City | Current Time | Time Zone | vs Beijing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇨🇳 Beijing | … | … | ±0 |
| 🇺🇸 New York | … | … | … |
| 🇺🇸 Los Angeles | … | … | … |
| 🇬🇧 London | … | … | … |
| 🇫🇷 Paris | … | … | … |
| 🇦🇪 Dubai | … | GST UTC+4 | … |
| 🇮🇳 Mumbai | … | IST UTC+5:30 | … |
| 🇸🇬 Singapore | … | SGT UTC+8 | … |
| 🇯🇵 Tokyo | … | JST UTC+9 | … |
| 🇭🇰 Hong Kong | … | HKT UTC+8 | … |
| 🇦🇺 Sydney | … | … | … |
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China Standard Time (CST) Explained – No Daylight Saving Time
⏰ CST is always UTC+8 — Beijing never changes its clocks
☀️ Summer
UTC+8
CST — China Standard Time
Clocks do NOT change
Clocks do NOT change
❄️ Winter
UTC+8
CST — China Standard Time
Clocks do NOT change
Clocks do NOT change
💡 No clock changes — ever. China observed daylight saving time (CDT, China Daylight Time, UTC+9) with interruptions between 1986 and 1991. Since September 1991, all of mainland China has permanently operated on CST (UTC+8). A unique and important aspect: although China spans approximately 5 natural time zones geographically (from UTC+5 in the west to UTC+9 in the east), since 1949 there has been only one official time zone for the entire country. The IANA identifier is Asia/Shanghai, used for Beijing as well. The permanent stability of CST means that the difference between Beijing and any other fixed-offset time zone (Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong) never changes, while the gap between Beijing and cities that do observe DST (London, New York) varies exclusively when their clocks move.
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Beijing Time Zone Converter – Convert CST to Any City
Enter a Beijing time to convert
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Beijing – Geography & Location Data
LocationNorth-East Asia / North ChinaNorth China Plain · Beijing Municipality · P.R.C.
GPS Coordinates39.9042°N116.4074°E (east of Greenwich)
Elevation~43 m averagePlain to the east; Yanshan and Taihang mountains to north and west; highest point: 2,303 m (Lingshan)
Area16,410 km²China's second-largest municipality after Chongqing, comprising 16 administrative districts
ClimateDwa (Köppen)Humid continental — hot humid summers (25–33°C), cold dry winters (−9–3°C), Gobi Desert dust storms in spring
Cultural centreChina's cultural capitalHighest concentration of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China: Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Ming Tombs, Summer Palace
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Population & Administrative Data
| Population | ~22 million (2024) |
| Population density | ~1,300 people/km² |
| Official language | Mandarin (Putonghua) |
| Administrative status | Province-level municipality (直辖市) |
| IANA time zone | Asia/Shanghai (CST, UTC+8) |
| International dialling code | +86 (10 for Beijing) |
| Internet domain | .cn / .中国 |
| Currency | Renminbi yuan (CNY, ¥) |
| Drives on | Right 🚗 |
| Country ISO code | CN (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2) |
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A Brief History of Beijing
- ~1045 BCThe Beijing area has been inhabited for thousands of years, but the first known state to control the territory was the kingdom of Yan, with its capital Ji (present-day Beijing), one of the seven Warring States of ancient China. Archaeological excavations attest to human presence in this area for at least 700,000 years, including Peking Man (Homo erectus pekinensis), discovered at Zhoukoudian, 50 km south-west of the modern city centre.
- 1271–1368Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, chose Beijing (named Khanbaliq or Dadu) as the capital of the Yuan Empire — the largest contiguous empire in world history. Marco Polo, who visited the city during this period, described it as the most magnificent city in the world, with marble palaces, vast markets and a sophisticated administrative system. The population exceeded one million, making Dadu one of the largest medieval cities on Earth.
- 1403–1644Emperor Yongle of the Ming dynasty moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing in 1403 and ordered the construction of the Forbidden City (Zijin Cheng), completed in 1420 with 9,999 rooms — an imperial complex that remained the residence of 24 emperors for 500 years. The same era saw major extensions of the Great Wall of China and the construction of the great temples and palaces that define Beijing's ceremonial skyline. Beijing became the political, cultural and educational centre of the empire.
- 1644–1912The Qing dynasty (Manchu) conquered Beijing in 1644 and maintained the city as the imperial capital. This era brought the expansion of the Summer Palace (Yiheyuan) and the Temple of Heaven, but also the traumas of the First and Second Opium Wars — Anglo-French troops looted and destroyed the Summer Palace in 1860. The Boxer Rebellion (1900) and its suppression by international forces accelerated the decline of the Qing Empire, which collapsed in 1912.
- 1912–1949The Republic of China maintained Beijing as capital until 1927, when Chiang Kai-shek moved the capital to Nanjing and renamed the city Beiping ("Northern Peace"). The city was occupied by Japan between 1937 and 1945. On 1 October 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the founding of the People's Republic of China from the balcony of Tiananmen Gate, restoring Beijing as capital and its historic name. Simultaneously, China unified the entire country under a single time zone: CST (UTC+8).
- 1949–presentBeijing has become the capital of the world's most populous nation and its second-largest economy. The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 marked a pivotal moment in modern political history. The 2008 Summer Olympics transformed the city's infrastructure and projected China onto the global stage. The 2022 Winter Olympics made Beijing the first city to host both Summer and Winter Games. Today, Beijing is the financial, technological and diplomatic hub of the world's most influential emerging power.
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Top Tourist Attractions in Beijing
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The Forbidden City (Imperial Palace)Built between 1406 and 1420, the Forbidden City (Zijin Cheng) is the world's largest palace complex: 72 hectares, 980 surviving buildings, and the best-preserved ensemble of imperial architecture in China. It served as the residence of 24 emperors from the Ming and Qing dynasties for nearly 500 years. Today it houses the Palace Museum, with over 1.86 million artefacts. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987, it receives over 15 million visitors annually — the world's most visited museum.
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The Great Wall of China — Mutianyu & BadalingThe longest defensive structure ever built by humans, the Great Wall stretches approximately 21,196 km in total, crossing the mountains of northern China. The most accessible sections from Beijing are Badaling (the most visited, 70 km north, with restored towers) and Mutianyu (more authentic, forested, with a cable car). The Jinshanling section, for experienced hikers, offers wild panoramic views and far fewer crowds. The Great Wall has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.
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Temple of Heaven (Tiantan)Built in 1420, the Temple of Heaven complex is where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties came annually to pray for good harvests and communicate with Heaven. The Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests (Qinian Dian) — a triple-eaved circular rotunda with a blue roof, built without a single metal nail — is one of China's most photographed monuments. The surrounding 267-hectare park is used daily by Beijing residents for tai chi, group dancing and morning walks.
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Tiananmen Square & Mao's MausoleumTiananmen Square is the world's largest city square (440,000 m²), flanked to the north by Tiananmen Gate with Mao Zedong's portrait, to the south by Mao's Mausoleum (free admission), to the east by the Great Hall of the People and to the west by the National Museum of China. The square carries enormous historical weight: the proclamation of the P.R.C. in 1949 and the 1989 protests both took place here. The solemn flag-raising and lowering ceremony at sunrise and sunset draws thousands of spectators every day.
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Summer Palace (Yiheyuan)The Summer Palace is the best-preserved imperial park in China: 294 hectares dominated by Kunming Lake (75% of the surface area) and Longevity Hill (Wanshou Shan) with the Tower of Buddhist Incense. Built in 1750, destroyed by Anglo-French troops in 1860, and rebuilt by Empress Dowager Cixi in 1886, the complex served as the imperial summer residence. The 728-metre Long Corridor, with 14,000 painted beams, is unique in the world. UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
🥢
Hutong Alleyways & Drum Tower QuarterHutongs (胡同) are Beijing's traditional narrow alleyways, dating from the Mongol era, surrounded by siheyuan — square courtyard homes typical of imperial domestic architecture. The area around the Drum Tower and Bell Tower is the best preserved, with indie cafés, courtyard bars and artists' studios. A rickshaw or walking tour through the hutongs is one of Beijing's most authentic defining experiences, offering a vivid contrast to the wide Stalinist boulevards of the city centre.
✈️ Airports Serving Beijing
| Airport | IATA | Distance | Transfer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing Capital International Airport | PEK | ~28 km north-east | ~25 min (Airport Express Line 1); ~40–60 min (taxi) | 🌍 Main hub of Air China; world's 2nd busiest airport (pre-pandemic) |
| Beijing Daxing International Airport | PKX | ~46 km south | ~20 min (Daxing Express train); ~60 min (taxi) | ✨ Opened 2019; designed by Zaha Hadid Architects; capacity 100 million passengers/year |
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Beijing Food – Imperial Cuisine & Street Food
Peking Duck (北京烤鸭)The signature dish of Beijing and one of the world's most celebrated foods. Beijing Roast Duck (Beijing Kaoyu) is a specially bred duck roasted in a fruit-wood oven, its skin brushed with maltose syrup to achieve a lacquered, crackling finish. It is sliced ritually tableside and wrapped in thin wheat pancakes (bing) with cucumber, spring onion and hoisin sauce. Quanjude (founded 1864) and Dadong are the definitive references. No visit to Beijing is complete without Peking Duck.
Jiaozi & Zhajiangmian NoodlesJiaozi (Chinese dumplings) are essential to northern Chinese cuisine, served boiled, pan-fried (guotie — potstickers) or steamed. The classic Beijing filling is pork with napa cabbage and ginger, dipped in black vinegar and chilli oil. Zhajiangmian are thick wheat noodles topped with a soy-fermented pork mince sauce — a typical Beijing street food, served with julienned cucumber and blanched green beans. Noodles in all forms are the staple of northern Chinese cooking, contrasting with the rice-based dishes of the south.
Beijing Hot Pot (涮羊肉)Shuanyangrou (lamb fondue) is Beijing's traditional version of hot pot, with Mongolian origins. Paper-thin lamb slices are cooked in a clear broth of bones, wolfberries, ginger and spring onion, then eaten with sesame paste sauce, fermented tofu and vinegar. Unlike Sichuan's fiery hot pot, the Beijing version is delicate and aromatic. Donglaishun, founded in 1903 and a favourite of heads of state, is the definitive institution. In Beijing's cold winters, hot pot is the supreme culinary ritual.
Jianbing & Street BreakfastBeijing's iconic street breakfast is jianbing — a thin crepe cooked on a flat griddle, spread with egg, hoisin sauce, chilli paste and a crunchy youtiao (fried dough stick) folded inside. Made fresh in seconds at street carts every morning. Baozi (steamed buns filled with pork, vegetables or red bean paste) are on every corner. Congee (rice porridge) with pickles and century egg rounds out the traditional breakfast. Qingfeng Steamed Dumplings is a well-known chain famous across China.
Imperial Cuisine & Court BanquetsImperial Beijing cuisine (Manhan Quanxi) represents the pinnacle of Chinese gastronomy, with dishes served at the imperial court for hundreds of years. Buddha Jumps Over the Wall (Fotiaoqiang) — an extraordinarily elaborate soup with 18 rare ingredients (abalone, shark fin, pork tendons, dried shrimps) — is the most complex dish in Chinese cooking. The restaurant Fangshan in Beihai Park (next to the Forbidden City) serves dishes reconstructed from the recipes of Qing dynasty imperial chefs.
Wangfujing Snack StreetThe pedestrian Wangfujing Snack Street is Beijing's celebrated culinary bazaar, with stalls selling unusual fare: live scorpions on skewers, silk worm pupae, starfish, fried insects — alongside classics such as tanghulu (fruit glazed in crystallised sugar, a beloved winter treat), roujiamo (the "Chinese hamburger" — slow-braised pork in a fired flatbread) and lamb kebabs (skewers with cumin — a Uyghur influence from Xinjiang). Wangfujing is a mandatory sensory experience for any visitor to Beijing.
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Practical Travel Information for Beijing
| 💧 Tap water | Beijing's tap water is not recommended for direct consumption without boiling or filtering. Contamination from heavy metals and bacteria in older pipes is a documented issue. Bottled water is cheap (under ¥2 for 1.5 litres) and available everywhere. Hotels provide boiled or filtered water. At restaurants, tea and hot drinks are safe. |
| 🚌 Public transport | Beijing operates one of the world's largest metro systems: 27 lines, 490 stations, covering virtually every major tourist attraction. Tickets are low fixed-price (¥2–¥10). The Yikatong Card (similar to Hong Kong's Octopus Card) enables payments on metro, buses and trolleybuses. Taxis are inexpensive but drivers rarely speak English — a screenshot of your destination in Chinese characters is essential. DiDi (China's Uber equivalent) works excellently and accepts international payment cards. |
| ⚡ Power plugs | Type A (two flat pins, US-style), Type I (three pins in a V shape, Australian-style) and Type C (two round pins, European-style) — 220V / 50Hz. Chinese sockets often accept multiple plug types. Visitors from the US and Canada need both a plug adapter and a voltage converter. Visitors from Europe and Australia generally need only a plug adapter. Most international hotels offer universal sockets. |
| 🗣️ Language | Mandarin (Putonghua) is the sole official language. English is spoken in international hotels and some tourist sites, but is rarely encountered in ordinary restaurants, shops and transport. Google Translate with its camera function (real-time OCR) is indispensable for menus and signs. Download offline translations before departure, since Google is blocked without a VPN in mainland China. |
| 📵 Internet & VPN | China enforces the Great Firewall: Google, Gmail, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter/X and Wikipedia are all blocked. A VPN installed and tested before arrival is essential for foreign visitors. WeChat and Alipay work freely and are necessary for payments. Tourist SIM cards with international data (eSIM) or roaming networks can sometimes bypass the firewall at a basic level. |
| 💳 Payments | China is a predominantly cashless society based on Alipay and WeChat Pay (QR code). Foreign visitors can link international Visa/Mastercard cards to Alipay or use WeChat Pay's International Card function. Cash (CNY) is accepted at transport and some shops but increasingly rare in restaurants. ATMs from UnionPay, ICBC and Bank of China accept international cards. Tip: set up Alipay with your card before departure. |
| 🛂 Dress & tipping | Dress standards in Beijing are smart-casual and cosmopolitan. Modesty is expected at temples and historic sites (shoulders and knees covered). Tipping is not customary in China — it can even be considered rude in traditional restaurants. Service charges are not usually added to bills. At international hotels, small tips for porters and housekeeping are understood but not expected. |
| 🛁 Visas | Citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia require a Chinese tourist visa (type L), obtained from a Chinese consulate before travel. Since 2024, China has expanded its visa-free transit policy (144-hour TWOV) for certain nationalities at Beijing's airports — check current eligibility. Many European Union nationalities qualify for a 15-day visa-free stay under China's expanded 2024 programme; verify the latest conditions on the Chinese Embassy website before travel. |
| 🌋 Air quality | Beijing is known for episodes of severe air pollution, particularly in winter and spring. The AQI (Air Quality Index) frequently exceeds 150–200 in the cold season. Check daily AQI via apps like IQAir or AQI China. FFP2/N95 masks are recommended on high-pollution days. In spring, sandstorms from the Gobi Desert can significantly reduce visibility and air quality. |
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Frequently Asked Questions – Beijing Time Zone & CST
Beijing uses CST (China Standard Time, UTC+8) permanently, throughout the entire year. China has a single official time zone for the whole country, and the IANA identifier is
Asia/Shanghai, used for Beijing as well. China has not observed daylight saving time since 1991, so the UTC+8 offset never changes. Numerically, CST is identical to HKT (Hong Kong Time) and SGT (Singapore Standard Time), but managed under a separate IANA identifier.
No. China observed daylight saving time (CDT, China Daylight Time, UTC+9) with interruptions between 1986 and 1991. Since September 1991, all of mainland China has operated on CST (UTC+8) every day of the year. This makes coordinating international business with Beijing exceptionally straightforward: the Beijing clock never surprises you with an overnight shift.
Beijing is 13 hours ahead of New York in winter (EST, UTC−5). When New York switches to EDT (UTC−4) in mid-March, Beijing is 12 hours ahead. The gap returns to 13 hours when the US reverts to EST in early November. Beijing clocks never change; only the US clock transition alters the difference. Quick conversion: New York 09:00 EST = Beijing 22:00 CST (same day); New York 09:00 EDT = Beijing 21:00 CST.
Beijing is 8 hours ahead of London in winter (GMT, UTC+0). When the UK switches to BST (British Summer Time, UTC+1) in late March, Beijing is 7 hours ahead. The gap returns to 8 hours in late October. Quick conversion: London 09:00 GMT = Beijing 17:00 CST; London 09:00 BST = Beijing 16:00 CST.
Beijing is 16 hours ahead of Los Angeles in winter (PST, UTC−8). When LA switches to PDT (UTC−7) in mid-March, Beijing is 15 hours ahead. Quick conversion: Los Angeles 09:00 PST = Beijing 01:00 CST (next day); Los Angeles 09:00 PDT = Beijing 00:00 CST (midnight, next day).
China adopted a single national time zone (UTC+8) in 1949 upon the founding of the People's Republic of China, for national unity and administrative simplicity under a centralised government. Geographically, China spans approximately 5 natural time zones (UTC+5 to UTC+9). In western regions such as Xinjiang, residents sometimes use an unofficial local time (UTC+6), but all official activities — transport, government, business — operate on CST (UTC+8). This means that in Kashgar (Xinjiang), the official sunrise can occur as late as 9 AM on the clock.
Beijing is always 4 hours ahead of Dubai (CST UTC+8 vs GST UTC+4). Neither China nor the UAE observes daylight saving time, so this 4-hour difference is perfectly constant year-round. Beijing 09:00 CST = Dubai 05:00 GST. This permanent alignment makes scheduling between Beijing and Dubai — two of Asia's premier business hubs — exceptionally predictable.
As a current numeric value, yes: both CST (China Standard Time) and HKT (Hong Kong Time) are UTC+8, so clocks in Beijing and Hong Kong show the same time right now. However, they use different IANA identifiers:
Asia/Shanghai vs Asia/Hong_Kong. The distinction matters in historical data, since Hong Kong had its own time zone history — including UTC+9 during the Japanese occupation of 1941–1945 — and separate DST rules (abandoned in 1979, twelve years before mainland China). The identifiers are kept separate to preserve this historical accuracy.
Beijing is served by two major international airports. Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK) is 28 km north-east of the city centre, connected by Airport Express train in approximately 25 minutes. Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX), opened in 2019 and designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, is 46 km south, connected by the Daxing Express train in approximately 20 minutes. Capital Airport is the main hub of Air China. Because China does not observe daylight saving time, all flight schedules to and from Beijing remain consistent throughout the year.
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