China weather
Everything you need to know before arriving on the ground
A China weather article may not sound like the most riveting pre-trip reading, but if you’ve ever arrived in a new destination and been totally underprepared because it’s too hot, cold, wet or dry, you’ll understand just how quickly travel plans can be derailed. What starts out as fun quickly turns to a much less enjoyable experience - all because you didn’t check the weather.
Like so many aspects of China, weather is not straightforward. How can it be? In a country that covers a massive expanse in all directions, there are bound to be variances in China weather - sometimes really big ones - on any given day. That’s why it pays to do your research well in advance, not only of your arrival, but planning and booking your trip too.
Without drowning you in too much detail, like the rising floodwaters of a tropical summer typhoon, we’ve endeavoured to capture the all important information for adventurers making their way to China, regardless of when and where they travel.
China weather
An overview
China’s coastline just on its own stretches a whopping 18,000 kilometers, so as you’d expect with such a distance, the zones within China itself present a wide range of temperatures and climates.
During winter, China is generally warm in the south and cold - in some places, bitterly cold - in the north. Temperature differences between north and south
can vary by up to 50°. The influence of the winter monsoon, which brings cold
and dry winter winds from Mongolia and Siberia impacts the northern region
of China. Visit Beijing during the coldest months of the year and you will
definitely be pulling out your thermal gear, gloves, and beanie.
By contrast, in summer, which runs from June to August, you will find temper-
atures that reach the other extreme. With the exception of the high lying
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Tianshan Mountains, the average temperature in
most areas sits above 20°C. In fact, you will find that in many places in the
south, the average is above 28°C.
Now if you’re thinking that sounds quite manageable and you think Turpan
in high summer sounds ideal, you may just want to reconsider your travel
plans. Freezing cold in winter, temperatures in Turpan swing in the opposite direction during summer, hitting an average high of 40°C (104°F).
Remember too there is a wet season in China weather and the timing of it varies from north to south. In the south, with its more tropical and subtropical weather zone, the wet season starts early and ends late. The wettest months are between May and October.
The wet season in the north is shorter and concentrated in July and August (summer). Monsoons are a common feature of China’s weather, both in warm and cold months. Fortunately, this is most advantageous for agriculture, as it allows for diversity in crop cultivation and animal production.
But it’s not all good news. Floods, along with other natural disasters such as drought, earthquakes, and cold waves occur regularly each year, and in some cases, with catastrophic effects.
Although we’ve only provided a brief overview of China weather here, at the very least, you have the basics, and can start to plan the timing of your trip accordingly.
The takeaways on China weather for foreign visitors?
China weather by city
Beijing
Beijing
Xi’an
Xi’an
Shanghai
Shanghai
Chengdu
Chengdu
Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Dunhuang
Dunhuang
Guilin
Guilin
Lhasa
Lhasa
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Want to know more about the weather in China? Work through the pages of our Travel Guide and find everything you need to know about visiting China. Discover helpful information on related topics, including China visas, things to do in China, food, culture, and more. As a China travel agent that’s been operating well over a year - and survived the impact of COVID-19, we’re more committed than ever to helping our customers discover and experience real China. We understand that your once-in-a-lifetime trip to China starts well before departure, that’s why we provide useful information about important details on topics like the weather in China to help make your China vacation as enjoyable as possible.
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Testimonials
- Kandice42 wrote a review 30 April 2024Hamilton, New ZealandHistoric Beijing and Xi’anAll I can say is ... Martha is amazing. Best travel consultant ever! She answered our questions and provided all the information we needed. She was super patient as we figured out what we wanted to do and at the same time prompt with her responses. Thanks for all the emails. Our trip wouldn't have been as great without her help. We booked a private tour for 2 days in Beijing and 2 days in Xi'an. Our guides Jun and Helen were friendly and knowledgeable, and put up with our shopping stops. It is surprising how quickly a complete stranger can feel like part of the family. Our drivers were always on time and we were very glad to sit back and let someone else manage the traffic. We really appreciated the help to get on the bullet train and being picked up from the station at almost midnight. Top notch service. Of the 3 weeks we spent in Asia, Xi'an was definitely our favourite spot. Loved the food, the vibe, and the history. The Terracotta Warriors are a must - one of those things you just can't describe. Come and experience it yourself! Totally recommend China Tours
- Sósanna N wrote a review 29 April 2024IrelandAmazing Adventure in BeijingWhat an amazing trip! Took a 2 day private tour of Beijing with visits to Mutianyu Great Wall, Confucius Temple, Imperial College Museum, Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City & Summer Palace. Definitely a once in a lifetime trip. My guide, Jeffry, was very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. He gave me lots of tips on where to go/explore in Beijing. Would recommend China Tours to anyone, especially solo travellers! Hope to be back someday
- Vince T wrote a review 26 April 2024
Outstanding in every way! You are a VIPMy wife and I went on a 12 day tour using Chinatours.com seeing Beijing (Capital, Forbidden City and Great Wall), Xi'an (home of the Terracotta Warriors), Chengdu (home of Panda Research), Guilin (Li River Cruise), Yangshuo, and Shanghai. One word, Wow!! The company helps you plan, does all the logistics ie travel, hotel arrangements, worry free. The local tour guides were outstanding. They all were very knowledgeable of the history of their city, you can feel the passion, the guides live their city. Going to China? Highly recommend Chinatours.com - Vadim S wrote a review 17 April 2024
Very well organized tourThe trip was organized very well All tour guides were friendly and helpful Even when flight delayed by 3 hours they We’re waiting for us All accommodations were very comfortable Even last minute changes in plans were accepted and accommodated Martha replied to our remarks immediately at any time Highly recommend China tours.com for future visitors to China - Meg C wrote a review 12 April 2024
Amazing TourOur tour was amazing! We went to Beijing, Xi’an, Zhangjiajie and Guilin. Our tour guides were amazing in each location-very knowledgeable, kind and helpful. Highly recommend this company, we customise the tour to suit our interests and needs! - Greg C wrote a review 12 April 2024
Family Adventure with China ToursOur Experience with China Tours was amazing! Our family of 6 (our kids range in age from 8-12) loved the sites, food, hotels, schedule, and hospitality. Possibly the best element of our experience was hanging out with our guides Maggie, Helen, Kevin, and Warren who were so personable, knowledgable, and kind. We would highly recommend China Tours to anyone!