Film production in Beijing
Between June and December, usable daylight in Beijing moves by 5h 37min — from 14h 59min down to 9h 22min. An exterior day in December is a different day from one in June. This page carries sunrise, sunset and golden-hour times for all twelve months, the climate profile.
Light and shooting hours
On 15 June, the sun in Beijing rises at 04:46 and sets at 19:45; the evening golden hour starts at 19:04 and runs for 41 minutes. By December that shifts to 07:29–16:51, with a 43-minute golden-hour window from 16:08.
In practice, a spread of 5h 37min means a schedule that works here in summer does not work in winter at the same location — with the same setup count, the hours simply are not there.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Golden hour (evening, from) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:35 | 17:13 | 9h 38min | 16:32 |
| February | 07:09 | 17:50 | 10h 41min | 17:12 |
| March | 06:28 | 18:21 | 11h 53min | 17:45 |
| April | 05:38 | 18:52 | 13h 14min | 18:16 |
| May | 05:01 | 19:22 | 14h 22min | 18:44 |
| June | 04:46 | 19:45 | 14h 59min | 19:04 |
| July | 04:59 | 19:43 | 14h 45min | 19:03 |
| August | 05:26 | 19:13 | 13h 47min | 18:36 |
| September | 05:56 | 18:26 | 12h 30min | 17:50 |
| October | 06:25 | 17:37 | 11h 13min | 17:01 |
| November | 06:59 | 17:00 | 10h 01min | 16:20 |
| December | 07:29 | 16:51 | 9h 22min | 16:08 |
Blue hour and shooting windows
Blue hour in Beijing starts at 20:05 in June and ends at 20:18 — a window of 13 minutes. In December it is 12 minutes from 17:10. If you need a city view with lit windows, that window is all you get.
Sunset moves fastest around the equinoxes: between March (18:21) and September (18:26) there are 5 minutes of difference. A schedule running over several weeks cannot work from one fixed "sunset" time.
Weather and washout risk
Beijing averages 14 rain days in July and 0 in January. A three-day exterior shoot in July statistically loses 1.4 days — not a forecast, but the basis for deciding whether a cover set belongs in the budget.
| Month | Mean temperature | Rain days | Sunshine hours/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | -3.0 °C | 0 | 8.2 |
| February | 0.0 °C | 2 | 8.7 |
| March | 7.8 °C | 3 | 9.8 |
| April | 15.3 °C | 3 | 9.7 |
| May | 21.4 °C | 5 | 10.1 |
| June | 26.3 °C | 6 | 10.3 |
| July | 27.0 °C | 14 | 8.8 |
| August | 25.4 °C | 12 | 9.2 |
| September | 21.1 °C | 6 | 9.1 |
| October | 12.8 °C | 5 | 7.9 |
| November | 4.4 °C | 3 | 7.3 |
| December | -2.1 °C | 1 | 7.9 |
Planning a shoot here
A schedule that ignores these numbers looks fine on paper and falls over on the day. TillyGen folds sun position, travel and crew availability straight into the schedule — if the exterior no longer fits before sunset in December, the plan says so, not the wrap report.
Frequently asked
When is golden hour in Beijing?
In June it starts at 19:04 and lasts 41 minutes; in December it starts at 16:08 and lasts 43 minutes. The table above lists all twelve months.
How much daylight does a shoot day in Beijing get?
Between 9h 22min in December and 14h 59min in June. The 5h 37min difference is worth four to eight setups depending on your pace.
Which month is best for exteriors in Beijing?
Combining daylight and rain days, June comes out ahead: plenty of usable light with comparatively few rain days. June has the longest days but not necessarily the steadiest weather.