China: If It's Light, It Must Be Urumqi

"Is that Urumqi time or Peking time?" asked a visitor to the capital of China's remote Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, as he prepared to adjust his watch. A local official tartly replied, "Urumqi time is Peking time." He was, of course, correct, even though the provincial capital is 2,000 miles west of Peking. Until now, all time in China, which sprawls across four time zones, has been Peking time. But the Middle Kingdom has been undergoing rapid change in every sphere, and time is no exception. As of Feb. 1, Urumqi was allowed to set its clocks according to geography's ukase rather than Peking's.

In the past, informal Urumqi time was two hours behind Peking's and a source of much confusion. Government offices, for instance, were required to open at 8 a.m. Peking time, or 6 a.m. in Urumqi. Summer travelers to Xinjiang found themselves sitting down to dinner when it was officially 10 p.m., though the sun had not set. The Muslim majority in the province, however, has been agitating for more autonomy, and the time change is seen as a minor concession to their demands. As for other distant reaches of China, well, they must continue to ignore the celestial evidence and abide by Peking's version of the time.