Blog · Updated 18 September 2026
What Time Does the Chinese Stock Market Open?
Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share trading hours, the midday break, opening and closing auctions, and conversions for every global time zone.
Quick answer
The Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets open for continuous trading at 9:30 a.m. China Standard Time (UTC+8), Monday through Friday. The opening call auction begins at 9:15 a.m. Trading pauses from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and the market closes at 3:00 p.m.
China A-share trading schedule
Mainland China uses one national time zone—China Standard Time—and does not observe daylight-saving time. The schedule below applies to regular stock auction trading on both the Shanghai Stock Exchange and Shenzhen Stock Exchange.
| Stage | China Standard Time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Opening call auction | 09:15–09:25 | Orders are collected to determine the opening price. |
| Break before continuous trading | 09:25–09:30 | The opening result is prepared; continuous matching has not started. |
| Morning continuous auction | 09:30–11:30 | Regular continuous trading. |
| Midday break | 11:30–13:00 | Continuous trading is paused. |
| Afternoon continuous auction | 13:00–14:57 | Regular continuous trading resumes. |
| Closing call auction | 14:57–15:00 | Orders are matched to determine the closing price. |
Global time-zone converter
Convert China market hours to any time zone
Choose a date and any IANA time zone. Daylight-saving time is applied automatically for that date.
| Market event | China time | Converted time |
|---|---|---|
| Opening call auction | 09:15 | Fri, Sep 18, 01:15 UTC |
| Morning session opens | 09:30 | Fri, Sep 18, 01:30 UTC |
| Morning session ends | 11:30 | Fri, Sep 18, 03:30 UTC |
| Afternoon session opens | 13:00 | Fri, Sep 18, 05:00 UTC |
| Market closes | 15:00 | Fri, Sep 18, 07:00 UTC |
China market open and close times around the world
The table converts the 9:30 a.m. continuous-trading open and 3:00 p.m. close. A slash shows standard time followed by daylight time. An asterisk means the local time is on the previous calendar day.
| Location | Opens | Closes | Zone |
|---|---|---|---|
| UTC | 01:30 | 07:00 | — |
| Hong Kong / Singapore | 09:30 | 15:00 | UTC+8 |
| Seoul | 10:30 | 16:00 | UTC+9 |
| Tokyo | 10:30 | 16:00 | UTC+9 |
| Mumbai | 07:00 | 12:30 | UTC+5:30 |
| Dubai | 05:30 | 11:00 | UTC+4 |
| London | 01:30 / 02:30 | 07:00 / 08:00 | GMT / BST |
| Paris / Frankfurt | 02:30 / 03:30 | 08:00 / 09:00 | CET / CEST |
| New York / Toronto | 20:30 / 21:30* | 02:00 / 03:00 | EST / EDT |
| Chicago | 19:30 / 20:30* | 01:00 / 02:00 | CST / CDT |
| Los Angeles | 17:30 / 18:30* | 23:00* / 00:00 | PST / PDT |
| Sydney | 11:30 / 12:30 | 17:00 / 18:00 | AEST / AEDT |
Why the answer is not simply “9:30 a.m.”
Investors can submit orders during the opening call auction from 9:15 a.m., but continuous trading—the session most people mean when they ask when the Chinese stock market opens—starts at 9:30 a.m.
China’s stock exchanges also take a 90-minute midday break. That differs from the uninterrupted core sessions used by major U.S. exchanges. If you follow A-shares from North America, the opening is normally on the previous evening, while the closing occurs overnight or around midnight on the U.S. West Coast.
Trading days and Chinese market holidays
Shanghai and Shenzhen normally trade Monday through Friday. They close for Chinese public holidays and for other dates announced by the exchanges. Always check the exchange calendar before a holiday week; China does not automatically follow U.S., Hong Kong, South Korean, or European market holidays.
Frequently asked questions
What time does the Chinese stock market open?
Continuous A-share trading opens at 9:30 a.m. China Standard Time. The opening call auction begins at 9:15 a.m.
What time does the Shanghai Stock Exchange open?
The Shanghai Stock Exchange opening call auction runs from 9:15 to 9:25 a.m.; continuous trading begins at 9:30 a.m.
Does the Chinese stock market close for lunch?
Yes. Continuous trading pauses at 11:30 a.m. and resumes at 1:00 p.m. China Standard Time.
What time does the Chinese stock market close?
The regular stock session ends with a closing call auction at 3:00 p.m. China Standard Time.
Does China use daylight-saving time?
No. China Standard Time remains UTC+8 throughout the year. Your local conversion may still change when your own region enters or leaves daylight-saving time.
Are Shanghai and Shenzhen trading hours the same?
For regular A-share auction trading, both exchanges use the same opening auction, continuous-trading sessions, midday break, and closing auction timetable.
Official sources
Trading hours can be adjusted by the exchanges. This guide is based on the official schedules below:
This article provides factual market-schedule information only. It is not investment advice, a stock recommendation, or an offer of asset-management services.