Visiting China in January
January is the coldest month in China and the temperature of each place touch its bottom, but the temperatures are different a lot from place to place as China’s territory spans about 50 degrees of latitude from north to south and over 60 degrees of longitude from east to west. It means you can choose to participate in the exciting ice and snow festival in Harbin or enjoy a beach holiday in Sanya the southmost city in China as you like. It means that you can always find your destination in January in China. The Spring Festival - Chinese New Year usually falls in late January or early February and traveling over this time is extremely quite busy.
Events & Festivals
- Harbin Ice Festival: It starts from Jan 05th and ends in the middle of February. A large and impressive display of intricate ice sculptures is held in Harbin Ice and Snow World.
- Chinese New Year: (late January to early February): Also called Spring Festival, It is the most important festival in China. Celebrations are held across the country with fireworks, decorative red couplet, lanterns, lion dance show and reunion of family.
Visiting China in February
February is the last month of winter and the temperature goes up gradually even though it is still chilly. Visit China in this month, you can save money on flights, hotels and you can avoid the tourist crowds except the period of Chinese New Year holiday. In north of China, the weather is still cold but the cities such as Hong Kong, Macau, Sanya and some places in southern Yunnan.
Events & Festivals
- Chinese New Year: (late January to early February): Also called Spring Festival which is the most important festival in China. Celebrations are held across the country with fireworks, decorative red couplet, lanterns and reunion of family.
- Lantern Festival: It is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month, two weeks after Chinese New Year. People eat sweet rice balls called tangyuan. Various colorful lanterns with riddles written on them are decorated on the streets at night, and fireworks are set off to celebrate the festival.
Visiting China in March
The temperature continues to rise in March and spring is coming. It is still in the low season with fewer crowds. You can get bonus from hotels in major cities and air lines. North China is windy, East China becomes wetter with daily drizzle for half a month, West China is still in its inhospitable dry winter and South China is cool, mild and drizzled. The fruit trees mostly found in rural areas start to blossom toward the end of the month and they are strikingly beautiful.
Visiting China in April
April is rainy in central and southern China, although it is warmer than March. The landscape is beautifully verdant and fruit trees are in full blossom. April is the best time to appreciate the blooming flowers: flouring rape flower in Wuyuan, pink peach flowers in Nyingchi… Outdoor activities such as hiking in the mountains in Yunnan as the weather is pleasant. April is a shoulder season in China. Favorable prices and fewer travelers can be expected.
Events & Festivals
- Tomb-Sweeping Festival: On April 4th or 5th every year, it is a traditional Chinese festival and it is a time for people to commemorate their ancestors and tidy up their tombs.
- Sister's Meal Festival (April): An important festival of the Miao minority falls on the 15th day of the third month in the lunar calendar. It is regarded as the oldest “Valentine’s Day” of China. The celebration usually lasts for 3 days. Young women dress in their holiday best with startling silver headdresses, crowns and neck rings and distribute rice wrapped in leaves to young men who show an interest in them.
Visiting China in May
May is one of the best favorite months to visit China as the weather is pleasant with a plentiful amount of sunshine and warm temperature throughout China before the sticky heat of the summer. Lhasa is warm and sunny with low rainfall and trees are green, flowers are in bloom. As the temperature is mild, it is a great time to visit. It is the peak month for flowers to bloom in Yunnan Province especially the rhododendron, which is as a blanket on the mountain slopes. Labor Day falls on 1st and there is a holiday from May 1st to May 5th, so we suggest that travel avoid these days.
Events & Festivals
- Dragon Boat Festival (late May or early June): It is a traditional and important Chinese festival celebrated for over 2,000 years. Some of the most traditional customs include exciting dragon boat racing, eating Zongzi (sticky rice dumpling), drinking realgar wine, hanging Chinese mugwort and calumus.
Visiting China in June
June is the beginning of the summer, when the heat starts to set in and the temperature rises over 86°F in most of China. The weather is normally comfortably warm and dry in the north, which is an excellent time to travel to Xian, Silk Road and Xinjiang Province. East China experiences heavy rainfall though the temperatures are warm. South China is hot, wet and fun, typically the Longji rice terraces in Guilin will be irrigated, and the water creates a mirror-like surface.
Visiting China in July
July is exceeding hot and humid throughout most of China, though it is the best time of year for families to travel as it coincides with school holidays. In West China, temperatures can reach over 100°F but the climate is dry, however in the south, the weather is hot and humid with some downpour. Summer is a good season for water sports. Taking a bamboo raft on Li River in Guilin will be quite of fun. In some mountainous areas, the weather is cooler, for example Yunnan Province, where conditions are ideal for enjoying the blooming landscape and hiking.
Visiting China in August
August is hot throughout the country. It is the rainiest month in Beijing with some heavy downpours. Cities along Yangtze River such as Wuhan, Nanjing, and Shanghai see the highest temperatures. Sometimes it goes up to or over 104°F. However, Yunnan is home to some of the cooler weather in this month. The mountains in Zhangjiajie are cooler and are good places to spend the summer holiday.
Visiting China in September
September is the start of autumn. It is still warm, but not as hot, humid and wet as the summer, making it a perfect time to visit anywhere in China. The weather in the north gets cooler and the rain comes to the end, making it a great month to travel. In southern China, the cooler and drier weather gradually replace the humid and hot weather by the end of this month. The temperatures in western China fall dramatically, making journey along the Silk Route more comfortable.
Events & Festivals
- Mid-Autumn Festival (September or early October): It is the second most important festival in China. During this festival, people celebrate it by family reunion, worshiping the moon, eating a delicacy called moon cake and lighting paper lanterns.
Visiting China in October
In October, the whole country was bathed in sunshine and the temperatures are pleasantly mild. It is the most popular month for travelling to China. Travelling during the first week of the month is extremely busy and should be best avoided as it is a national holiday.
Events & Festivals
- Mid-Autumn Festival (September or early October): It is the second most important festival in China. During this festival, people celebrate it by family reunion, worshiping the moon, eating a delicacy called moon cake and lighting paper lanterns.
Visiting China in November
November is the alternating season of autumn and winter and it is the best time to enjoy autumn foliage colors especially in the northern and central areas of China. Days become cool and skies are typically clear blue, making it an ideal time to visit China after the peak season and before the chilly winter weather arrives. The main sites are less busy throughout the country, as the domestic tourism has headed home.
Visiting China in December
December is cold all over the country, with extremely low temperatures in Harbin, Urumchi. Beijing and Xian are cold but crisp and dry. It is a great time to visit these two cities if you do not mind the cold as there will be no crowds around you when you are in the main sites. Southern China has more mild temperatures, however the damp atmosphere making it feels colder than it is. Hong Kong, Macau, Xishuangbanna and Hainan Island are great escapes for people in colder climates as temperatures in those places and very pleasant.