what time does china stock market close - quick guide

Introduction

what time does china stock market close is a common question for traders and crypto participants coordinating global activity. On a standard trading day mainland China’s equity markets — the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE), Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) and Beijing Stock Exchange (BSE) — have an official close at 15:00 China Standard Time (CST, UTC+8). In this article you will find a clear answer to what time does china stock market close, a detailed explanation of session phases (including the closing auction), DST-aware time-zone conversions, holiday rules, and practical tips for monitoring live status. The guidance is beginner friendly and aligned with industry sources and Bitget’s cross-market tools.

Note: this guide focuses on mainland China exchanges (A-shares, STAR/ChiNext segments and related market mechanics). For authoritative, up-to-date schedules always check the exchanges’ official calendars.

Mainland China exchanges covered

Primary mainland venues covered in this guide:

• Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE)
• Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE)
• Beijing Stock Exchange (BSE)

All three mainland exchanges share the same core trading schedule and the same official daily close time. Throughout this article the repeated exact phrase what time does china stock market close appears as the core search query and is answered directly and in context for global traders.

Official trading hours (local time)

Standard daily schedule for mainland equity markets (Monday–Friday, excluding public holidays):

• Morning session: 09:30–11:30 CST (China Standard Time, UTC+8)
• Lunch break: 11:30–13:00 CST
• Afternoon session: 13:00–15:00 CST

The official daily close is 15:00 CST. If you asked "what time does china stock market close" — the short answer is 15:00 China Standard Time on a normal trading day for SSE, SZSE and BSE.

However, the precise mechanics around the final minutes matter for order execution and price formation. Continuous trading typically ends slightly before 15:00 and a closing-call matching process determines official closing prices (see next section). The phrase what time does china stock market close appears several times in the practical examples below.

Quick checklist (local):

• Official close: 15:00 CST
• Sessions: 09:30–11:30, 13:00–15:00
• Exchanges: SSE, SZSE, BSE

Closing auction / pre-close mechanics

Understanding the closing process clarifies the practical answer to what time does china stock market close. Mainland exchanges use a closing call auction to determine the official closing price and to match accumulated orders at session end. Key points:

• Purpose: The closing auction aggregates supply and demand in a short matching window to produce a single closing price that reflects final session liquidity and price discovery.
• Timing: Continuous trading for most securities typically ends shortly before 15:00 (some market rules note continuous trading stops around 14:57). A closing call auction/matching window then runs up to 15:00 to produce the closing price and execute orders at that price.
• Order behavior: Orders submitted during the call window are matched according to exchange-mandated priority rules. Traders using market-on-close style instructions or special closing-auction order types should check their broker’s specific handling and lead times.

Implication: if you need to know exactly what time does china stock market close for trade execution, treat 15:00 CST as the official close (price reference), but expect final trade-matching activity in the minutes leading into 15:00 driven by the pre-close call auction.

Time-zone conversions and examples

Because markets operate across time zones, the local 15:00 CST close converts into different times elsewhere. Below are common conversions for the official close (15:00 CST = 07:00 UTC). Remember daylight saving time (DST) in other jurisdictions affects local offsets — China does not observe DST.

• 15:00 CST = 07:00 UTC (Coordinated Universal Time)
• US Eastern Time (ET): 02:00 EST (winter) / 03:00 EDT (summer)
• UK (GMT/BST): 07:00 GMT / 08:00 BST (depending on DST)
• CET (Central Europe): 08:00 CET / 09:00 CEST (depending on DST)

Example: if you are on New York time during winter (EST), the mainland China close at 15:00 CST occurs at 02:00 EST — well outside US equity market hours and typically overnight for US traders. If you are monitoring cross-market flows between China and Europe, the close at 15:00 CST happens early morning in Europe (08:00 CET).

Practical tip: Always verify your trading platform or broker’s displayed time zone and whether they adjust for DST. When coordinating between crypto platforms (which operate 24/7) and mainland markets, convert using UTC or a reliable market-hours tool to avoid errors.

Trading day structure and order types

A typical mainland trading day has several phases relevant to traders asking what time does china stock market close:

• Pre-open / order collection: Exchanges accept orders before the opening auction to determine the opening price.
• Opening auction: A short matching window creates a single opening price at 09:30.
• Continuous trading (morning): 09:30–11:30 — continuous matching of orders during the morning session.
• Lunch break: 11:30–13:00 — order entry may be allowed in some systems but trading is suspended.
• Continuous trading (afternoon): 13:00–(approx)14:57 — regular continuous trading resumes in the afternoon.
• Pre-close / closing call: ~14:57–15:00 — continuous trading ends and exchanges run a closing call auction to set the official close price.

Common order types affecting close execution:

• Limit orders: Execute only at or better than the specified price.
• Market orders: Execute at current market prices — beware slippage during the closing auction.
• Closing-auction eligible orders / market-on-close equivalents: Where supported, these allow participation in the closing call. Check your broker for exact naming and deadlines.

If you are coordinating crypto and equity positions, note that crypto markets have continuous liquidity; mainland close times create discrete windows when equity prices freeze and then update at the call auction.

Holidays, special schedules and exceptions

Mainland exchanges close for Chinese public holidays. Major annual holiday periods include:

• New Year/Gregorian New Year (early January)
• Chinese New Year / Spring Festival (movable, lunar calendar, usually late January–February)
• Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)
• Labor Day (May Day)
• Dragon Boat Festival (movable)
• Mid-Autumn Festival (movable)
• National Day Golden Week (first week of October)

Exchanges publish annual holiday calendars and occasional schedule adjustments (e.g., special trading days, shortened sessions or delayed openings). Because some dates are based on the lunar calendar, the exact dates change year to year.

Recommendation: check the SSE, SZSE and BSE official calendars or official announcements before planning major trade activity around holidays. Market-hours aggregators and brokerage platforms also list holiday closures but should not replace official exchange notices.

Differences: Mainland vs Hong Kong and offshore venues

While SSE, SZSE and BSE share the 09:30–11:30, 13:00–15:00 schedule, other regional venues operate on different hours. For example, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) has its own trading hours and closing mechanics. Stock Connect programs (northbound/southbound) add cross-border operational rules and settlement cutoffs that traders should check separately.

When deciding what time does china stock market close relative to other venues, remember:

• Mainland exchanges close at 15:00 CST; Hong Kong’s schedule differs and may include different auction rules.
• Cross-border programs like Stock Connect impose specific windows for order routing and quota handling — these can create effective operational cutoffs that differ from the simple exchange close.

For cross-market strategies, use Bitget tools to monitor mainland and offshore liquidity windows, and confirm brokerage support for cross-border order types.

Practical implications for traders and cross-market participants

Knowing what time does china stock market close matters for several reasons:

• Liquidity and volatility at close: The final minutes and closing auction often concentrate volume and can produce larger bid-ask spreads or price swings. Traders seeking execution at close should use the proper closing-auction instructions.
• Price discovery and reference prices: Closing prices set official daily reference points used by funds and index providers — an important consideration for index tracking and rebalancing.
• Overnight risk: International traders are exposed to overnight news between the mainland close and their local market open. This includes macro data, geopolitical events, and corporate announcements.
• Arbitrage and cross-market opportunities: Gaps between mainland close and other markets (including 24/7 crypto venues) can create temporary dislocations. Traders monitoring pairs or correlated instruments should factor in settlement and cut-off times.

Practical checklist:

• If you require a closing price, use broker-supported closing-auction orders and confirm cut-off times.
• For risk management, be aware of the overnight window relative to your home market’s open.
• Use Bitget Wallet and Bitget market-monitoring features to track price movements across equities and crypto during mainland market closures.

How to check live status and official schedules

Authoritative sources for trading hours and holiday schedules:

• Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) official announcements and calendar
• Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) official announcements and calendar
• Beijing Stock Exchange (BSE) official announcements and calendar
• Market-hours aggregators (TradingHours.com, Market24hClock) for quick conversions and notices
• Brokerage or platform notices (confirm whether times are shown in local or user time zone)

Bitget users: set platform time preferences to UTC or your local time and enable exchange-status alerts to receive updates on early/late openings and holiday schedules.

Frequently asked nuances (short Q&A)

• Q: Does the market close at 14:57 or 15:00?

  • A: The official close is 15:00 CST. Continuous trading usually ends a few minutes before to allow a closing call auction; some exchange rules note continuous trading ends around 14:57 with the closing auction running to 15:00.

• Q: Are there late/after-hours trades like in the US?

  • A: Mainland equity markets do not have prolonged electronic after-hours sessions comparable to US extended trading. Most regular cash equity trading occurs within standard session hours; special market sessions or product-specific windows may exist for certain securities.

• Q: Do all segments (A-share, B-share, STAR/ChiNext) follow the same hours?

  • A: Generally yes for core trading hours, though certain segments can have specific rules or temporary special sessions. Always confirm segment-specific notices from the exchange.

References and further reading

Sources used for this guide (for verification and live updates check the official exchange notices):

• TradingHours.com (market hours overview for SSE)
• Market24hClock (trading-hours clock for Shanghai)
• ExpatInvestChina (opening times & holiday schedule overview)
• Investopedia (context on world exchange hours and conversions)
• Bitget (Bitget’s cross-market article on China stock market hours and monitoring tools)
• CMC Markets / Capital.com (overview pages for world exchange hours & conversions)
• Official exchange websites: Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE), Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE), Beijing Stock Exchange (BSE)

Context note: recent macro signals (timeliness)

As of 16 January 2026, reporting by PA Wire noted rising consumer credit stress in the UK, with credit card defaults increasing and mortgage demand weakening. This kind of macro data illustrates how global economic developments can affect market risk sentiment across regions. While the mainland China close (15:00 CST) is a fixed operational time, macro news released overnight relative to US/EU markets or ahead of Asian opens can influence prices when markets reopen or during the next trading day’s pre-open collection.

Source note: this article references PA Wire reporting for macro context as of the date above; for trading hours and operational rules rely on the exchange notices listed earlier.

Appendix A — Time conversion examples (selected zones)

Below are example conversions for the standard 15:00 CST close. Update for DST shifts in your jurisdiction when planning trades.

• 15:00 CST = 07:00 UTC
• US Eastern: 02:00 EST / 03:00 EDT
• UK: 07:00 GMT / 08:00 BST
• Central Europe: 08:00 CET / 09:00 CEST
• Tokyo (JST): 16:00 JST (Japan does not observe DST)

Note: the exact local clock time depends on whether DST is in effect in your region. China maintains UTC+8 year-round.

Appendix B — Glossary

• China Standard Time (CST): UTC+8, the time zone used by mainland China year-round.
• Continuous trading: normal buy/sell matching during open session hours.
• Closing call auction (closing auction): a short pre-close matching window that determines the official closing price.
• Stock Connect: cross-border trading programs between mainland exchanges and Hong Kong, with specific quotas and operating rules.

Practical next steps for traders (Bitget-recommended)

• Verify the exchange calendar before trading: refer to SSE/SZSE/BSE official notices.
• Use UTC as a coordination anchor when planning across time zones.
• For continuous market monitoring and cross-asset alerts (crypto + equities), consider Bitget’s market tools and Bitget Wallet for unified tracking and notifications.
• If you need execution at the official close, instruct your broker/platform to use closing-auction order types where available and confirm the platform’s cut-off times.

Further explore Bitget’s educational resources to learn how to align 24/7 crypto monitoring with fixed-schedule equity markets.

Editorial note on accuracy and updates

Exchange hours and special schedules change from time to time (especially around holidays or regulatory adjustments). This article aims to provide a reliable baseline answer to what time does china stock market close (officially 15:00 CST) and practical detail on close mechanics. Always confirm current-year calendars and exchange announcements for exact dates and temporary changes.

If you’d like, I can expand any single section (for example: a DST-aware, date-specific conversion table for a selected year; a broker-ready checklist for closing-auction orders; or a step-by-step example showing how an international trader monitors the mainland close using Bitget tools).