Seasons in China
Rain moves north with the summer monsoon, so the wet season starts earlier in the south than in the north. Around Guangzhou the first flood season runs from April to June and is dominated by frontal rain, while the second, from July to September, is dominated by typhoon rain.[4] The plum rain (meiyu) season then settles over a belt that runs from Yichang in Hubei to the east coast, between about 28 and 34 degrees north, and in most years it begins in early or mid June.[1] It usually ends in early to mid July, after which midsummer heat sets in, although a short return of the rain, called daohuangmei, is possible.[5] North China gets its rain later: Beijing's official flood season runs from 1 June to 15 September, and about 75% of the year's rain falls in the four months from June to September.[6]
Typhoons are the other big factor on the coast. About seven typhoons make landfall in China in an average year, Guangdong and Fujian are among the provinces with the most landfalls, and an average July brings about 1.9 of them.[7] Hong Kong's weather service says tropical cyclones may strike from May to November, with July to September the most likely months,[2] and Sanya's district government gives June to October as its typhoon season.[8] The southwest and the Tibetan plateau run on a different calendar. Yunnan has a wet season from May to October that brings about 85% of its rain.[9] The Tibetan plateau's rainy season also runs from May to October, with more than 80% of the year's rain.[10] In the Sichuan basin and Chongqing, the West China autumn rain brings long spells of drizzle between September and November.[11]
Region by region
North (Harbin, Beijing, Qingdao, Xi'an)
Spring and autumn are the safe seasons here. Beijing rates as best from March to June and from August to October, with July rated good because of 163 mm of rain, and Xi'an rates as best from March to November. Beijing's heavy rain is concentrated: about 70% of the flood season's torrential downpours fall in the 20 days from late July to early August, a period known as qixia bashang.[6] Winters are dry and cold, with a January high of 2.5 °C, a low of -7.8 °C and only 4 mm of rain in Beijing, and a high of 4.3 °C and a low of -4.2 °C in Xi'an.
Harbin has the hardest winter on the map: mean daily highs of -12.1 °C and lows of -23.1 °C in January, and a poor rating from December to February. Heilongjiang province describes its winter as cold and long, lasting five to six months on average.[12] Summer is the season for Harbin trips: April to June and August to October rate as best, and July is good with 142 mm of rain. Qingdao's climate combines monsoon and maritime features, with few very hot days in summer, and about 57% of its annual rain falls from June to August.[13] In our data Qingdao is best from April to June and from September to November, while July and August are rated good because of 143 mm and 150 mm of rain and storms nearby in 3 and 5 of 30 years. The National Meteorological Centre puts the normal number of typhoons that affect the northeast at 1.2 a year.[7]
Northwest (Ürümqi)
Ürümqi is dry in every month, and our data rate April to October as best, with March and November good. Xinjiang as a whole is described as having cold winters, hot summers and little rain, with average annual rainfall ranging from 8.1 mm at Toksun to 571.7 mm at Tianchi.[14] Summer is warm rather than extreme in the city, with July highs of 31.6 °C and 27 mm of rain, while winter is hard: January averages a high of -7.9 °C and a low of -16.5 °C, and the city is rated poor in December and January and mixed in February.
East (Shanghai, Hangzhou, Huangshan)
Shanghai and Hangzhou sit inside the plum rain belt, which also covers Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei and Hunan.[1] Both are rated best from March to May and from October to December, but June brings 163 mm of rain in Shanghai and 174 mm in Hangzhou. Late summer is the weak point: August is rated mixed in both cities, with storms nearby in 8 of 30 years in Shanghai and 9 of 30 in Hangzhou, and daily highs of 32.0 °C and 33.4 °C.
Huangshan is wetter than both: the city area gets about 1,670 mm of rain a year, mostly from May to August.[15] June is the wettest month in our data at 240 mm and is rated mixed, and the best months are February and September to November. Our figures describe lowland conditions, while Lotus Peak, the highest summit, rises to 1,860 m,[15] so the top of the mountain is colder than the valley.
Central and southwest basin (Chengdu, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie)
Chengdu is rated best from February to June and from September to December, but July and August are mixed with 237 mm and 226 mm of rain. Chongqing is hotter, with highs of 33.2 °C in July and 33.5 °C in August, and it is rated best only from February to April and from October to December. Zhangjiajie is wettest from April to July (144, 182, 213 and 178 mm) and is rated best in February, March and from August to December.
From September to November the West China autumn rain brings many rainy days: the China Weather Network counts about 38 in Chengdu and 40 in Chongqing in a typical autumn (1981 to 2010), mostly light drizzle, and almost three quarters of Chengdu's autumn rain falls at night.[11] Our data still rate September to November as best in Chengdu and October and November as best in Chongqing, because the totals stay modest.
Yunnan highlands (Kunming, Lijiang, Shangri-La)
Yunnan's highlands are the mildest part of the country. The provincial agriculture department describes central and eastern Yunnan as spring-like all year and the northwest as having a long winter and no real summer, and it notes that in winter and spring the difference between day and night can reach 12 to 20 °C.[9] Our data show the pattern: January highs and lows are 16.0 °C and 2.8 °C in Kunming, 14.1 °C and -0.1 °C in Lijiang, and 5.9 °C and -9.1 °C in Shangri-La.
Kunming is rated best in every month except June to August, when 157, 184 and 175 mm of rain make it good, and Lijiang is rated best except in July and August. Shangri-La is rated best in April to June and from August to October, and its nights stay very cold, with lows of -9.1 °C in January and -7.4 °C in December.
Tibet (Lhasa)
Lhasa lies at an average altitude of about 3,650 m and gets more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year; its government describes winter and spring as dry and windy, and the rain as concentrated from June to September, mostly at night.[16] Across the Tibet Autonomous Region the rainy season begins on about 7 June in a normal year.[10] Our data rate March to October as best, including July and August with 127 mm and 120 mm of rain, and November to February as good. Winter days are mild but the nights are cold, with January highs of 5.9 °C and lows of -10.1 °C. Allow time to adjust to the altitude before long days of sightseeing.
South coast and Guilin (Guilin, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Sanya)
The south is best in the cool, dry half of the year. Guangzhou and Hong Kong are rated best from October to March, Xiamen from October to May, Sanya from December to May and Guilin from September to March. Hong Kong's weather service notes that many people regard November and December as the best months of the year, with pleasant breezes, plenty of sunshine and comfortable temperatures, while January and February are cloudier and May to August are hot and humid.[2] Local government figures put 90% of Sanya's rain between April and October.[8]
Summer is the problem on the coast. Hong Kong receives 385 mm in June, 351 mm in July, 411 mm in August and 258 mm in September, and all four months are rated poor, with storms nearby in 6, 8, 13 and 13 of 30 years. Guangzhou is rated poor in June with 291 mm and mixed from July to September, Xiamen is poor in August with storms nearby in 15 of 30 years, and Sanya is poor in September and October with 288 mm and 273 mm of rain and storms nearby in 12 of 30 years in both months. Flights from Hong Kong are not tied to the typhoon signals, and the Observatory advises travellers to check the latest flight information before leaving for the airport.[17] Guilin's wet season comes earlier, with 278 mm in May and 330 mm in June and a mixed rating in both months. The Li River scenic area's official website publishes notices that suspend, and later lift, boat and bamboo raft sailings on sections of the river, so check them before you book.[18]
China month by month
China in January
HarbinBeijingQingdaoXianUrumqiShanghaiHangzhouHuangshanChengduChongqingZhangjiajieKunmingLijiangShangri-LaLhasaGuilinXiamenGuangzhouHong KongSanya
Great or good weather: Lijiang, Kunming, Guilin, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Sanya, Qingdao, Xian, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Huangshan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Lhasa, Zhangjiajie, and Shangri-La.
Most rain: Hangzhou, 65 mm.
Hottest days: Sanya, 25 °C on average.
January is the coldest month in the north: Harbin and Ürümqi are rated poor, and Beijing is only mixed with a high of 2.5 °C. The south is at its best, and Lijiang, Kunming, Guilin, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Sanya all rate as best. In Hong Kong, cold fronts are occasional and urban temperatures below 10 °C are not unusual.[2]
China in February
HarbinBeijingQingdaoXianUrumqiShanghaiHangzhouHuangshanChengduChongqingZhangjiajieKunmingLijiangShangri-LaLhasaGuilinXiamenGuangzhouHong KongSanya
Great or good weather: Hangzhou, Huangshan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, Lijiang, Kunming, Guilin, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Sanya, Beijing, Qingdao, Xian, Shanghai, Lhasa, and Shangri-La.
Most rain: Huangshan, 99 mm.
Hottest days: Sanya, 26 °C on average.
Spring Festival falls on 6 February in 2027,[19] and the national rule gives four days off, from New Year's Eve to the third day of the new year.[3] The State Council publishes the exact dates each year and links the days off with adjusted working days into a longer break, which in 2026 lasted nine days.[20] Official notices set the Spring Festival travel rush (chunyun) around it at 40 days, so trains and flights are busy for weeks, not just over the holiday itself.[21] For weather, February rates as best in 12 of our 20 places, including Chengdu, Kunming, Guilin, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.
China in March
HarbinBeijingQingdaoXianUrumqiShanghaiHangzhouHuangshanChengduChongqingZhangjiajieKunmingLijiangShangri-LaLhasaGuilinXiamenGuangzhouHong KongSanya
Great or good weather: Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Lhasa, Zhangjiajie, Lijiang, Kunming, Guilin, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Sanya, Harbin, Urumqi, Qingdao, Huangshan, and Shangri-La.
Most rain: Huangshan, 146 mm.
Hottest days: Sanya, 28 °C on average.
March rates as best in 15 of our 20 places, among them Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Lhasa and every place on the south coast. Only Harbin, Ürümqi, Qingdao, Huangshan and Shangri-La stay at good. In Hong Kong, March and April are milder, and occasional drizzle and fog can disrupt air traffic and ferry services.[2]
China in April
HarbinBeijingQingdaoXianUrumqiShanghaiHangzhouHuangshanChengduChongqingZhangjiajieKunmingLijiangShangri-LaLhasaGuilinXiamenGuangzhouHong KongSanya
Great or good weather: Harbin, Urumqi, Beijing, Qingdao, Xian, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Lhasa, Shangri-La, Lijiang, Kunming, Xiamen, Sanya, Huangshan, Zhangjiajie, Guilin, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.
Most rain: Guilin, 180 mm.
Hottest days: Sanya, 31 °C on average.
April is the broadest sweet spot: 15 places rate as best, from Harbin and Beijing to Shanghai, Chengdu, Lhasa, Kunming and Sanya, and the other five are good. The first flood season around Guangzhou starts in April,[4] and the city's rain already reaches 157 mm that month.
China in May
HarbinBeijingQingdaoXianUrumqiShanghaiHangzhouHuangshanChengduChongqingZhangjiajieKunmingLijiangShangri-LaLhasaGuilinXiamenGuangzhouHong KongSanya
Great or good weather: Harbin, Urumqi, Beijing, Qingdao, Xian, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Lhasa, Shangri-La, Lijiang, Kunming, Xiamen, Sanya, Huangshan, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, and Guangzhou.
Most rain: Guilin, 278 mm.
Hottest days: Sanya, 33 °C on average.
May rates as best in 14 places, among them Harbin, Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Lhasa, Kunming and Sanya. Guilin (278 mm) and Hong Kong (252 mm) turn mixed as the rain builds. The Labour Day holiday covers 1 and 2 May by national rule,[3] and in 2026 adjusted working days made it a five-day break.[20]
China in June
HarbinBeijingQingdaoXianUrumqiShanghaiHangzhouHuangshanChengduChongqingZhangjiajieKunmingLijiangShangri-LaLhasaGuilinXiamenGuangzhouHong KongSanya
Great or good weather: Harbin, Urumqi, Beijing, Qingdao, Xian, Chengdu, Lhasa, Shangri-La, Lijiang, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, Kunming, Xiamen, and Sanya.
Most rain: Hong Kong, 385 mm.
Hottest days: Sanya, 33 °C on average.
In most years the plum rain season starts in early or mid June,[1] and in our data Shanghai (163 mm) and Hangzhou (174 mm) drop to good while Huangshan (240 mm) is mixed. Hong Kong (385 mm) and Guangzhou (291 mm) are rated poor, and Guilin (330 mm) mixed. Harbin, Beijing, Qingdao, Xi'an and Lhasa still rate as best.
China in July
HarbinBeijingQingdaoXianUrumqiShanghaiHangzhouHuangshanChengduChongqingZhangjiajieKunmingLijiangShangri-LaLhasaGuilinXiamenGuangzhouHong KongSanya
Great or good weather: Urumqi, Xian, Hangzhou, Lhasa, Harbin, Beijing, Qingdao, Shanghai, Huangshan, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, Shangri-La, Lijiang, Kunming, and Guilin.
Most rain: Hong Kong, 351 mm.
Hottest days: Hangzhou, 34 °C on average.
July is when the plum rain season usually ends, typically in early to mid July, after which midsummer heat begins.[5] Only Ürümqi, Xi'an, Hangzhou and Lhasa rate as best, and Hong Kong is poor with 351 mm of rain and storms nearby in 8 of 30 years. Beijing's rain climbs to 163 mm and rates good, and its main flood season begins in late July.[6]
China in August
HarbinBeijingQingdaoXianUrumqiShanghaiHangzhouHuangshanChengduChongqingZhangjiajieKunmingLijiangShangri-LaLhasaGuilinXiamenGuangzhouHong KongSanya
Great or good weather: Harbin, Urumqi, Beijing, Xian, Lhasa, Zhangjiajie, Shangri-La, Qingdao, Huangshan, Chongqing, Lijiang, Kunming, and Guilin.
Most rain: Hong Kong, 411 mm.
Hottest days: Chongqing, 34 °C on average.
Seven places rate as best in August: Harbin, Ürümqi, Beijing, Xi'an, Lhasa, Zhangjiajie and Shangri-La. The coast is the opposite, with Xiamen (storms nearby in 15 of 30 years) and Hong Kong (411 mm of rain) rated poor. In Beijing, about 70% of the flood season's torrential downpours fall in the 20 days from late July to early August.[6]
China in September
HarbinBeijingQingdaoXianUrumqiShanghaiHangzhouHuangshanChengduChongqingZhangjiajieKunmingLijiangShangri-LaLhasaGuilinXiamenGuangzhouHong KongSanya
Great or good weather: Harbin, Urumqi, Beijing, Qingdao, Xian, Huangshan, Chengdu, Lhasa, Zhangjiajie, Shangri-La, Lijiang, Kunming, Guilin, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chongqing, and Xiamen.
Most rain: Sanya, 288 mm.
Hottest days: Guangzhou, 32 °C on average.
September starts the autumn season for much of the country: 13 places rate as best, including Harbin, Beijing, Xi'an, Chengdu, Lhasa, Kunming and Guilin. Typhoon risk stays high on the coast, with storms nearby in 13 of 30 years in Hong Kong and 12 in Sanya, where 288 mm of rain also fall, and both are rated poor. The Mid-Autumn Festival, a one-day public holiday,[3] falls on 15 September in 2027.[19]
China in October
HarbinBeijingQingdaoXianUrumqiShanghaiHangzhouHuangshanChengduChongqingZhangjiajieKunmingLijiangShangri-LaLhasaGuilinXiamenGuangzhouHong KongSanya
Great or good weather: Harbin, Urumqi, Beijing, Qingdao, Xian, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Huangshan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Lhasa, Zhangjiajie, Shangri-La, Lijiang, Kunming, Guilin, Xiamen, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong.
Most rain: Sanya, 273 mm.
Hottest days: Sanya, 30 °C on average.
October is the strongest month of the year: 19 of our 20 places rate as best, and only Sanya is poor, with 273 mm of rain and storms nearby in 12 of 30 years. The cost is the National Day holiday, which is 1 to 3 October by rule,[3] and which in 2026 was stretched to seven days, from 1 to 7 October.[20] The weeks after the break are the better choice for popular sites.
China in November
HarbinBeijingQingdaoXianUrumqiShanghaiHangzhouHuangshanChengduChongqingZhangjiajieKunmingLijiangShangri-LaLhasaGuilinXiamenGuangzhouHong KongSanya
Great or good weather: Qingdao, Xian, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Huangshan, Chengdu, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, Lijiang, Kunming, Guilin, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Urumqi, Beijing, Lhasa, Shangri-La, and Sanya.
Most rain: Sanya, 136 mm.
Hottest days: Sanya, 28 °C on average.
November rates as best in 14 places, including Qingdao, Xi'an, Shanghai, Chengdu, Kunming and all of the south coast except Sanya, which is good. Hong Kong's weather service singles out November and December for pleasant breezes, plenty of sunshine and comfortable temperatures.[2] Yunnan's dry season, which runs from November to April, brings only 15% of the year's rain.[9]
China in December
HarbinBeijingQingdaoXianUrumqiShanghaiHangzhouHuangshanChengduChongqingZhangjiajieKunmingLijiangShangri-LaLhasaGuilinXiamenGuangzhouHong KongSanya
Great or good weather: Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Zhangjiajie, Lijiang, Kunming, Guilin, Xiamen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Sanya, Beijing, Qingdao, Xian, Huangshan, Lhasa, and Shangri-La.
Most rain: Shanghai, 65 mm.
Hottest days: Sanya, 26 °C on average.
December rates as best in 12 places: Kunming, Lijiang, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Sanya, Xiamen, Shanghai and Chengdu are among them. The north turns hard, with Harbin at a high of -9.8 °C and a low of -19.8 °C, and both Harbin and Ürümqi rated poor. Sanya's local government counts November to March as its dry season.[8]
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit China?
For most trips April, May and October are the best months: October rates as best in 19 of our 20 places April in 15 and May in 14. The national holidays add crowds, and Spring Festival and the 1 to 3 October holiday can be stretched into longer breaks.[3]
When is the rainy season in China?
It depends on the region, and the plum rain season in the Yangtze region usually starts in early or mid June.[1] Yunnan's wet season runs from May to October,[9] and Beijing's official flood season runs from 1 June to 15 September.[6]
When is typhoon season in China?
Hong Kong's weather service says tropical cyclones may strike from May to November, with July to September the most likely months.[2] About seven typhoons make landfall in China in an average year.[7]
What is the best time to visit Beijing?
Our data rate March to June and August to October as best in Beijing. Most of the heavy rain falls from late July to early August,[6] and January is cold, with a mean daily high of 2.5 °C.
What is the best time to visit Hong Kong and southern China?
Guangzhou and Hong Kong are rated best from October to March, and Hong Kong's weather service notes that many people regard November and December as the best months of the year.[2] From June to September Hong Kong is rated poor, with 258 to 411 mm of rain a month.
How do Chinese public holidays affect travel?
By national rule, Spring Festival gives four days off, Labour Day two and National Day three, from 1 to 3 October.[3] The state links them with adjusted working days into longer breaks, such as the seven days from 1 to 7 October in 2026.[20]
About the data
Temperatures and rain are long-term averages for 1991 to 2020 from TerraClimate, and the typhoon risk counts tropical storms from NOAA IBTrACS. The ratings use the same rules for every country. How the rating works.
Long-term averages, not a forecast. The weather in a given year can be quite different.
Travel guide: China
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] China Weather Network (China Meteorological Administration Public Meteorological Service Centre, with National Climate Center data): 2022梅雨季正式开启 大数据揭秘我国梅雨70年演变 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [2] Hong Kong Observatory: Climate of Hong Kong. Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [4] Guangzhou Municipal Government portal (plan issued by the Yuexiu District Construction and Water Authority): 广州市越秀区水土保持规划（2024-2030年） (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [5] China Weather Network, Jiangsu (Jiangsu Meteorological Service): 江苏天气: 梅雨专题 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [6] Haidian District Government, Beijing (interview with the Beijing Emergency Management Bureau): 防汛热点问题释疑：为何大雨爱“光顾”北京？ (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [7] National Meteorological Centre (CMA), Meteorological Monthly: 2020年西北太平洋台风活动特征和预报难点分析 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [8] Tianya District People's Government, Sanya: 天涯简介 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [9] Yunnan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs: 云南省气候、资源情况 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [10] People's Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region (report citing the Tibet Climate Center): 西藏于5月17日正式进入雨季 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [11] China Weather Network (China Meteorological Administration Public Meteorological Service Centre): 绵绵细雨也暗藏强大破坏力 一文读懂华西秋雨 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [12] People's Government of Heilongjiang Province: 气候概况 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [13] China Weather Network, Shandong (Shandong Meteorological Service): 青岛市气候特点 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [14] Department of Ecology and Environment of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region: 自治区生物多样性概况 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [15] China Weather Network (China Meteorological Administration Public Meteorological Service Centre): 黄山市城市介绍 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [16] Lhasa Municipal People's Government: 拉萨概况 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [17] Hong Kong Observatory: The Tropical Cyclone Warning System in Hong Kong. Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [18] Guilin Li River Scenic Area (official tourism website): 桂林漓江景区旅游官网 通知公告 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [19] Hong Kong Observatory: Gregorian-Lunar Calendar Conversion Table of 2027. Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [20] General Office of the State Council of China: 國務院辦公廳關於2026年部分節假日安排的通知 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [21] National Development and Reform Commission of China: 关于全力做好2022年春运工作的意见 (in Chinese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
