National Time Service Center

In Lintong, near Xi'an in Shaanxi, China, the National Time Service Center keeps the country running on time, generating and broadcasting China's official standard time and frequency.

About the National Time Service Center

The center traces its roots to 1966, when it was established as the Shaanxi Astronomy Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It was renamed the National Time Service Center in March 2001 and today is China's only statutory agency for issuing national standard time.

Research & operations

The center runs short-wave (BPM) and long-wave (BPL) time and frequency radio stations, along with a low-frequency (BPC) station broadcasting from Shangqiu since 2007. Its work underpins timing services used across science, industry and navigation in China.

Location & getting there

The center is based in Lintong, a district of Xi'an in Shaanxi province, an area also well known for its ancient history, including the nearby Terracotta Army.

Visiting

As a scientific and operational facility, public visiting access isn't well documented. Check the official website before planning a trip if you'd like to learn more about its work.

See your named star from here

The National Time Service Center began life as an astronomy observatory, and the coordinates on a Star Register certificate can still be tracked down with a telescope from a nearby public observatory in the region. Browse the star catalogue or see our naming packages to name a star of your own.