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Q: Why does China only have one time zone?
What time do the chickens wake up in Xinjiang?
Why doesn't the US have only one time zone?
The PRC has one time zone because the CCP decided so in 1949. Prior to that China had several time zones, established in 1912, prior to that no one knew what time it was.
Chickens probably cannot tell time, but they can tell when the sun rises.
djangolee:
I have read a book related to this issue.The local uygur people in Xinjiang still prefer the UTC+6 rather than UTC+8,aka Beijing time zone.So if you need to arrange something there you'd better ensure the same time zone with them at first.
Chinese planning being what it is can you imagine the state of confusion with different times on bus and train schedules from province to province? The mind boggles!
What would a Chinese passenger be thinking when he gets on a plane in 1 province, flies west for 3 hours and ends up landing an hour after his take off time? Come on.......give 'em a break!
take a look at the education system and you'll get the point......people here are not supposed to think...they are supposed to memorize so they don't want them to get confused
Yeah, living in Xinjiang all arrangements need to be qualified by asking "local time or Beijing time?" Then you have to remember which way around they go, it's a pain in the butt.
royceH:
Hey A, I'm in Xinjiang too, and hanging out to have a drink/drinks and Western conversation involving interesting topics (sport, politics, etc...) .... where do you live? Any other foreigners in your neck of the woods?
My wife can't understand the concept of being on time in one time zone 
I'm sorry royce, but I actually left Xinjiang a while ago, and am back in my home country, that's why I don't really comment on that many posts any more, I feel my experience is becoming less relevant.
I remember all too well how isolating far western China can be. My partner and myself both became desperate for new people to debate in depth with; the uniformity of thought is really frustrating at times. If we were still there, you'd have been absolutely welcome over for a chat and a wusu or ten.
If you're in Urumqi, I can provide some (slightly out of date) tips. Fubar, for one, played no small part in keeping us sane, but it's by no means the only western owned/frequented place. Outside of Urumqi... I'd be working hard on my Chinese (or my Uyghur)
Hulk:
Nope! Your experience as a past expat is invaluable! Don't feel that way.
I don't comment here much since I'm busy with my new family / don't have much to say.
It's clear no one on this board has given this question much thought. China has yet to get on board (no pun intended) with time-efficient daylight saving time zone concepts to boost productivity on the farm and in the factory. Remember that China is still in the Middle Ages when it comes to modernity of a Western flavor. Give them time (no pun intended again) and I predict China will adopt a reasonable time-zone breakdown (no pun intended once again) to boost the economy.
On the other hand, perhaps China wants only one time zone as a show of force or authority or propagandistic "harmony", the latter concept being quite Middle Ages in thinking. You know. Something like, uhhmmm... gee, aren't we harmonious?
Scandinavian:
Modern society has no benefit from daylight saving time. It worked in the post WWII era.
philbravery:
didn't day light saving start during the first world war?
Red fox, unfortunately your second paragraph is extremely close to the reality.
I think it's going too far to say that no one here has considered the question - quite the opposite, the common sense of split timezones is obvious to any expat who's had to deal with the difficulties the Beijing time/local time thing can provoke.
But... out in Xinjiang, everything is super harmoniously harmonious and everyone loves harmony and HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST BREAKING UP THE TIME-HARMONY OF CHINA!!! So, people just adjust to the reality of a late sunrise and suset. And with a little thought, you can make it work for you.
Also, remember that the wealth of the far west lies in its mineral deposits, not in agricultural output.
China being the greatest country on earth makes it easier on people by not confusing them with multiple time zones. I can see some Chinese could phone someone in an earlier time zone, say 7pm, to tell that person to phone him at 7:30 and tell him not to do something that he already did.
As a plus, morning people can move east and none morning people can move west, its a great luxury to sleep in and still get up in the morning.
My School in Xinjiang changed (winter) schedule time two weeks ago, with later School's start and shorter lunch break.
I tried to explained to Chinese (teachers), we change 'real time' in the West.
First, they look at me with 'you're joking?' in their eyes
. So, I compared USA time zones with '(individual) schedule time change' in China. They agreed, our way is simplistic to Chinese way of schedule change.
For Chinese, it is very difficult to understand 'time zones', because they've never experienced it in real.
There're no chickens in Xinjiang! We are 'meeeeee' Province. I am looking for usable 'sheep (lamb) skin' for new hand-made (cheap) jacket. Leather tailor wanted, too!
Scandinavian:
Then maybe you should tell them that so did China once. Specifically from 1986 to 1991. Where did peoples memory of recent past go ?
China tried out summer time from 1986 to 1991. It is estimated that the country saved 700 million kilowatt-hours in 1986 because of daylight saving. However, the inconvenience of the system led to it being cancelled in 1992.
http://www.gov.cn/english/2007-07/07/content_675959.htm
Purpose
The reason that the country only has one time zone is both practical and political. The Communist party established the country's current time system shortly after it founded the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949 to streamline operations, but also to make the country appear more unified.
http://www.wisegeek.org/why-does-china-have-only-one-time-zone.htm#slide...
I was in Xinjiang in July (of 2008, probably not the best year to go but......) and because of Beijing time, the sun did not go down until 11 PM. Seriously. I jokingly called the time 2100 "9 in the afternoon."
The Xinjiang people have a "local time" which is two hours behind Beijing time. Which is somewhat confusing, and it is always good to ask "is this local or Beijing time?" when getting on a bus or something.
Actually when travelling from Xinjiang into Afghanistan or Tajikistan, the time goes back three hours. 1 PM Tajikistan, 4 PM China. Personally, I think it is dumb that China does not have time zones. Everyone else does. Imagine New York and California on the same time zone. School in Brooklyn starts at 7:30, which means the kids in LA start classes in the middle of the night.
I have always been interested what it is like to live right near a time zone, where one town is 2 PM and the other 3 PM even though it is in the same local area. That would be confusing to say the least.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/norway-sommaroy-island-time-free-zone/index.html
One time zone in China, we can do better, How about no time zone?
