China's Stock Traders Go Home After 29 Minutes: Chart

Less than half an hour. That’s how long China’s stock markets were open before declines triggered automatic circuit breakers, shutting down trading for the day.

China’s stock exchanges closed at 9:59 a.m. local time, just 29 minutes after markets opened, as the CSI 300 Index fell more than 7 percent. Trading was halted for half that time after a 5 percent drop triggered an earlier suspension. China’s markets are normally open from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a 90 minute break in the middle.

"All of us are talking about getting off work early today and we are happy," Dongxing Securities Co. analyst Hou Yi said in Beijing. "This is the shortest trading day."

— With assistance by Amy Li