Time Zone History

Shanghai time zone history

Standard time has stayed at UTC+8 since 1901, the second-longest run of the 8 zones on UTC+8 standard time with no change of standard time since 1970. Daylight saving time was used in 6 years since 1970, last in 1991; under the current rules the clocks no longer change. Clocks were first moved for daylight saving in 1919, the earliest start of the 58 zones in Asia that ever used daylight saving time.

UTC+8

Standard time is UTC+8 (CST) all year under the current rules.

Covers: Beijing time, all of China in common use · tz database name Asia/Shanghai

Convert a time from Shanghai

Summer time in 6 of 57 years since 1970

UTC+8: today’s standard timeUTC+8:05:43: 6 minutes ahead of today’s standard timeUTC+9: 1 hour ahead of today’s standard timeUTC+8: today’s standard timeUTC+8:05:43: 6 minutes ahead oftoday’s standard timeUTC+9: 1 hour ahead of today’sstandard time

How to read this chart

Before 1970

18901910193019501970189019301970
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1970198019902000201020202028JFMAMJJASOND1970198019902000201020202028

Standard time changes

DateChangeNew standard timeClock label
Before 1970
January 1, 1901Local mean time (UTC+8:05:43) replacedUTC+8CST

Daylight saving periods

YearsClocks go forwardClocks go backShift and labels
Before 1970
1919April 13October 11 hour, CST to CDT
1940June 1October 131 hour, CST to CDT
1941March 15November 21 hour, CST to CDT
1942January 31not that year1 hour, CST to CDT
1945not that yearSeptember 21 hour
1946May 15October 11 hour, CST to CDT
1947April 15November 11 hour, CST to CDT
1948May 1October 11 hour, CST to CDT
1949May 1May 281 hour, CST to CDT
Since 1970
1986May 4September 141 hour, CST to CDT
1987April 12September 131 hour, CST to CDT
1988April 17September 111 hour, CST to CDT
1989–1990third Sunday in April, 02:00third Sunday in September, 02:001 hour, CST to CDT
1991April 14September 151 hour, CST to CDT

Also on UTC+8

Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Philippines, Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Irkutsk (Russia), Malaysia, Singapore, Makassar (Indonesia) and Perth (Australia) (nearest first; 1 more on the list of offsets).

Clocks next door since 1970

  • Taiwan (688 km): same time except 1,354 days in 1974, 1975, 1979 and 1986–1991.
  • South Korea (864 km): usually 1 hour ahead; different on 700 days in 1986–1991.
  • North Korea (949 km): usually 1 hour ahead; different on 1,890 days in 1986–1991 and 2015–2018.
  • Hong Kong (1,231 km): same time except 2,449 days in 1970–1976, 1979 and 1986–1991.
  • Macau (1,275 km): same time except 2,449 days in 1970–1976, 1979 and 1986–1991.

How it compares

On standard time, clocks in Shanghai run 6 minutes behind local mean solar time.