Current Time in Beijing
About Beijing
Beijing is located in China, in the Northern Hemisphere, and is one of the most populous cities in the world with a population of around 18,960,744. It runs on Asia/Shanghai time, currently UTC+8:00 relative to UTC. Beijing does not observe Daylight Saving Time, so this offset stays fixed year-round.
- CountryChina
- Population18,960,744
- Latitude39.9075°
- Longitude116.3972°
- Time zoneAsia/Shanghai
- Current UTC offsetUTC+8:00
- Daylight Saving TimeNot observed
Sunrise & Sunset in Beijing Today
For Sunday, October 11, 2026, calculated from Beijing's own coordinates.
Sunrise
Sunset
Daylight
Seasons in Beijing
Approximate dates — the exact moment a season begins shifts by about a day from year to year.
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Top Places to Visit in Beijing
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties for nearly 500 years, and remains the best-preserved collection of ancient wooden architecture in China. Also known as the Palace Museum, its nearly 1,000 surviving buildings are arranged along a strict north-south axis through a sequence of ceremonial gates and courtyards, from the Meridian Gate at the southern entrance to the Hall of Supreme Harmony at its ceremonial heart. Yellow-glazed roof tiles, red walls and elaborate dragon carvings mark it as an exclusively imperial space, one ordinary citizens couldn't enter for centuries. A full visit easily takes half a day; exiting through the northern gate into Jingshan Park gives a rare elevated view back over the palace's rooftops.
Take the Airport Express from Beijing Capital Airport to Dongzhimen, transfer to Line 2, and ride to Jianguomen, then transfer to Line 1 and ride to Tiananmen East station.
From Beijing Railway Station, take Line 2 to Jianguomen, transfer to Line 1, and ride to Tiananmen East station, a short walk from the palace's southern entrance.
From Deshengmen Bus Station, take Line 2 to Jianguomen, transfer to Line 1, and ride to Tiananmen East station.
Great Wall at Badaling
Badaling is the most visited and most fully restored section of the Great Wall, roughly an hour's drive northwest of central Beijing, and the section most first-time visitors picture when they think of the wall. Watchtowers punctuate a steep, winding stone rampart that climbs sharply along the ridgeline, with cable cars available for those who'd rather skip the climb up. It gets crowded, particularly on weekends and Chinese holidays, so an early start is worth it both for the crowds and for cooler walking conditions. Travelers with more time sometimes prefer the less-restored, less-crowded Mutianyu or Jiankou sections instead, but Badaling remains the easiest to reach without a car.
Take the Airport Express from Beijing Capital Airport to Dongzhimen, transfer to Line 2, ride to Jishuitan, then walk about 500 meters to Deshengmen Bus Station and board bus 877 or 919 to Badaling.
From Beijing Railway Station, take Line 2 to Jishuitan, walk to Deshengmen Bus Station, and board bus 877 or 919 to Badaling; alternatively, Beijing North Railway Station has a direct high-speed train to Badaling.
Deshengmen Bus Station is itself the departure point for buses 877 and 919 to Badaling; board directly for the roughly 1.5-hour journey.
Temple of Heaven
The Temple of Heaven is where Ming and Qing emperors came to perform annual rites asking Heaven for a good harvest, and it remains one of the most architecturally striking religious complexes in China. Its centrepiece, the circular, triple-eaved Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, sits on a three-tiered marble terrace and was built entirely without nails, its blue-tiled roof symbolising the heavens. The surrounding park is enormous and popular with locals well beyond its historical role, especially in the morning, when residents gather to practice tai chi, play cards, sing or dance in its shaded corridors and open plazas. Circular and square elements recur throughout the site's design, reflecting the traditional Chinese belief that heaven is round and earth is square.
Take the Airport Express from Beijing Capital Airport to Dongzhimen, transfer to Line 2, ride to Chongwenmen, then transfer to Line 5 and ride to Tiantandongmen (Temple of Heaven East Gate).
From Beijing Railway Station, take Line 2 to Chongwenmen, transfer to Line 5, and ride to Tiantandongmen station.
From Deshengmen Bus Station, take Line 2 to Chongwenmen, transfer to Line 5, and ride to Tiantandongmen station.
Summer Palace
The Summer Palace was the imperial family's retreat from the formality of the Forbidden City, an enormous landscaped estate built around Kunming Lake and Longevity Hill in Beijing's northwestern suburbs. The Long Corridor, a covered walkway painted with thousands of individual scenes from history and mythology, runs along the lakeshore for more than 700 meters, and the Marble Boat, a two-story pavilion built to resemble a paddle steamer, sits just offshore. Empress Dowager Cixi famously diverted naval funds to expand the palace in the late 1800s, and much of what survives today dates from her rebuilding after it was damaged in 1860. Renting a rowboat on the lake in warmer months is a popular way to see the grounds from the water.
Take the Airport Express from Beijing Capital Airport to Dongzhimen, transfer to Line 2, ride to Xizhimen, then transfer to Line 4 and ride to Beigongmen (the Summer Palace's north gate).
From Beijing Railway Station, take Line 2 to Xizhimen, transfer to Line 4, and ride to Beigongmen station.
From Deshengmen Bus Station, take Line 2 to Xizhimen, transfer to Line 4, and ride to Beigongmen station.
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is the largest public square in the world and the ceremonial and political heart of modern China, flanked by the Great Hall of the People, the National Museum of China, and the Gate of Heavenly Peace leading into the Forbidden City. The Monument to the People's Heroes stands at its centre, and Mao Zedong's mausoleum sits at its southern end, where visitors can view his embalmed body in a solemn, no-photography procession. Security is tight, with bag checks and ID checks at multiple points, and the flag-raising ceremony at sunrise draws large crowds. Its scale is genuinely hard to grasp from photos alone, capable of holding up to a million people for state events and parades.
Take the Airport Express from Beijing Capital Airport to Dongzhimen, transfer to Line 2, ride to Jianguomen, then transfer to Line 1 and ride to Tiananmen East or Tiananmen West station.
From Beijing Railway Station, take Line 2 to Jianguomen, transfer to Line 1, and ride to Tiananmen East station.
From Deshengmen Bus Station, take Line 2 to Jianguomen, transfer to Line 1, and ride to Tiananmen East station.
China National Holidays
2026
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Thu, Jan 1 |
| Spring Festival | Tue, Feb 17 |
| Qingming Festival | Sat, Apr 4 |
| Labour Day | Fri, May 1 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Fri, Jun 19 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Fri, Sep 25 |
| National Day | Thu, Oct 1 |
2027
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Fri, Jan 1 |
| Spring Festival | Sat, Feb 6 |
| Qingming Festival | Sun, Apr 4 |
| Labour Day | Sat, May 1 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Wed, Jun 9 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Wed, Sep 15 |
| National Day | Fri, Oct 1 |
2028
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Sat, Jan 1 |
| Spring Festival | Wed, Jan 26 |
| Qingming Festival | Tue, Apr 4 |
| Labour Day | Mon, May 1 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Sun, May 28 |
| National Day | Sun, Oct 1 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Tue, Oct 3 |
2029
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Mon, Jan 1 |
| Spring Festival | Tue, Feb 13 |
| Qingming Festival | Wed, Apr 4 |
| Labour Day | Tue, May 1 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Sat, Jun 16 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Sat, Sep 22 |
| National Day | Mon, Oct 1 |
2030
| Holiday | Date |
|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Tue, Jan 1 |
| Spring Festival | Sun, Feb 3 |
| Qingming Festival | Thu, Apr 4 |
| Labour Day | Wed, May 1 |
| Dragon Boat Festival | Wed, Jun 5 |
| Mid-Autumn Festival | Thu, Sep 12 |
| National Day | Tue, Oct 1 |
Daylight Saving Time
Beijing does not observe Daylight Saving Time. The UTC offset stays fixed at UTC+8:00 year-round.
Time Difference from Top 10 US Cities
Time Difference from Top 10 Cities Worldwide
Frequently Asked Questions About Time in Beijing
What time zone is Beijing in?
Beijing, China uses the Asia/Shanghai time zone. It is currently on CST (UTC+8:00). The live local time is shown at the top of this page.
Does Beijing observe Daylight Saving Time?
No. Beijing does not observe Daylight Saving Time, so it stays on UTC+8:00 all year round and never changes its clocks.
What time is sunrise and sunset in Beijing today?
The sun rises at 6:19 AM and sets at 5:43 PM in Beijing today, giving 11h 24m of daylight.
What is the time difference between Beijing and New York City?
New York City is 12 hours behind Beijing right now. The full comparison against other major cities is in the tables above.
What is the UTC offset for Beijing?
Beijing is currently UTC+8:00. This offset is fixed and does not change during the year.