Business Hours

A Five-day workweek that spans Monday and Friday is applied throughout China. The normal working hours are from 08:00 to 18:00 each day, with a lunch break from 12:00 to 14:00. Besides the regular days off (Saturday and Sunday), Chinese people also enjoy legal holidays of New Year's Day (from December 30 to January 1), Spring Festival (from the 30th day of the twelfth month to the 6th of the first month of Chinese lunar year), Qing Ming Festival (from April 4 to April 6), May Day (from May 1 to May 3), Dragon Boat Day (5th of the fifth month of Chinese lunar year), Mid-Autumn Day (the 15th of the eighth month of Chinese lunar year) and National Day (from September29 to October 5) . However, variations may occur due to different sectors and the time difference or policy in different cities.

1. The working hours of government offices are from 8:00 to 17:00 or 08:30 to 17:30 from Monday to Friday with two and a half hours lunch and siesta time. They usually close  during Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.

2.  Post offices and banks usually open from 9:00 to 17:00. At weekends, and legal holidays, the working hours are shortened by one to three hours. Some banks may be closed at weekends and during holidays, for there are many self-service banks installing with CDM, ATM, and Self-service Fee Paying Machine.

3. Hospitals usually open from 8:00 to 18:00 with two and a half hours off. At weekends and legal holidays, the working hours are shortened to a half day or less. But the hospital emergency clinics are 24-hour open everyday.

4. Kiosks, small shops, supermarkets and department stores open from 8:30-9:30 to 21:30-22:30 everyday. Many kiosks and small shops open earlier and close later. During the May Day Holiday and the National Day Holiday, many shops prolong their service hours by half hour to one and a half hours. However, it is different during the Spring Festival. Many of them are closed early in the afternoon on the eve of the Spring Festival and some of them close from January 1 to January 2 of Chine lunar year.

5. Most big restaurants open from 10:30-11:00 to 21:30 -22:00 everyday, with an afternoon break from 14:30 t0 17:00. Small restaurants supplying breakfast opens much earlier at 7:00 and don’t have afternoon abreak. Their business hours are always longer during weekends and holidays, even during the eve of Spring Festival.