2024 time change dates for China
China does not observe Daylight Saving Time
China trialled Daylight Saving Time from 1986 to 1991 and dropped it. The entire country, spanning five geographic time zones, runs on a single clock at UTC+8.
China stays on CST for the whole year.
Countdown to the next change
Background
- Germany and Austria-Hungary were the first countries to adopt DST nationally, in April 1916, as a wartime fuel-saving measure.
- Benjamin Franklin is often credited with inventing DST, but his 1784 essay was satire — he joked that Parisians could save candles by waking earlier. The modern proposal came from New Zealander George Hudson in 1895 and Briton William Willett in 1907.
- Roughly 70 countries use some form of DST, but they are concentrated in Europe and North America. Most of Africa and Asia do not.
Tips for China
Set your clocks before going to bed to avoid confusion in the morning.
Use the phrase 'Spring forward, fall back' to remember which direction to change your clocks.
Update your car clock, microwave, and other manual clocks that don't auto-update.
Gradually adjust your sleep schedule a few days before the time change to minimize disruption.
Frequently asked questions
When do the clocks change in China in 2024?
They do not. China does not observe Daylight Saving Time.
Which way do the clocks go?
"Spring forward, fall back" is the usual mnemonic: forward one hour in spring, back one hour in autumn.
Do I have to change anything myself?
Phones, computers and anything that syncs over the internet update on their own. Car clocks, ovens, microwaves and older wall clocks generally do not.
Is Daylight Saving Time being scrapped?
It has been proposed in many places and adopted in few. The European Parliament voted in 2019 to end mandatory clock changes and the change has stalled; in the United States the Sunshine Protection Act has repeatedly passed the Senate without becoming law. Most of the world that changes its clocks is still changing them.