Weather & best time to go in China
Month-by-month conditions and which months are actually worth avoiding.
What everyone needs to know
- Spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October) are the two comfortable windows in most of China.
- Summer is hot and wet in the south and centre; the north is hot but drier.
- Winter is harsh in the northeast and mild in the far south — Harbin and Sanya peak in the same month.
- Public holidays — Spring Festival, Golden Week (1–7 October), May Day — double prices and fill transport.
The numbers
| Item | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Best general months | April–May, September–October |
| Rainy season | May–September in the south |
| Golden Week | 1–7 October — avoid |
| Spring Festival | Late Jan–mid Feb, dates move yearly |
Do it in this order
- Pick your city first, then check its specific monthly range.
- Avoid booking travel that crosses 1–7 October or Spring Festival unless you have no choice.
- For northern cities, favour May and September; for southern cities, favour November and March.
- Build one indoor day into any summer itinerary — July thunderstorms are reliable.
Mistakes to avoid
- Travelling in Golden Week and being surprised by crowds and doubled hotel prices.
- Assuming "autumn" means the same month in Harbin and in Guangzhou.
- Booking mountain hikes in the rainy season without a weather fallback.
Sources
Weather & best time to go city by city
- Beijing
- Shanghai
- Xi'an
- Chengdu
- Chongqing
- Guilin
- Zhangjiajie
- Hangzhou
- Guangzhou
- Shenzhen
- Harbin
- Sanya
- Lijiang
- Kunming
- Suzhou
- Xiamen
- Zhengzhou
- Taiyuan
- Guiyang
- Fuzhou
- Yiwu
- Tianjin
- Nanjing
- Wuhan
- Changsha
- Qingdao
- Jinan
- Shenyang
- Dalian
- Changchun
- Hohhot
- Urumqi
- Lhasa
- Xining
- Lanzhou
- Yinchuan
- Dunhuang
- Luoyang
- Kaifeng
- Datong
- Pingyao
- Qufu
- Tai'an
- Huangshan
- Hefei
- Nanchang
- Wenzhou
- Ningbo
- Wuxi
- Yangzhou
- Shaoxing
- Zhuhai
- Foshan
- Dongguan
- Haikou
- Nanning
- Yangshuo
- Dali
- Shangri-La
- Xishuangbanna