In China, businesses usually open from 8:00 am and close about 5:00 pm (Some cities may vary). Offices are closed for lunch break of one hour, generally between 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm. Supper is taken around 6:00 pm or 7:00 pm.

Unlike western world, most Chinese supermarkets and department stores remain open on public holidays, and some of them even extend their working hours into late night.

The government stipulates a five-day workweek that spans Monday to Friday. Normal working hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break. Almost all government offices, institutions, schools, and other official units do not work on Saturday and Sunday.

Hospitals, post offices, banks, monuments, and museums are usually open seven days a week from 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Hospital emergency clinics are open even when the rest of the hospital is closed to visitors. Restaurants and bars stay open later at night. It is possible to eat as late as 10:00 p.m., and some open-air restaurants even stay open into the small hours of the night.