Good Time to Visit

Weather

The climate in the People's Republic of China is varied with seven zones:

• North-east China has bitterly cold winters, with strong north winds and warm, humid summers, but unreliable rainfall. In Manchuria, the rivers are frozen for four to six months each year, and snow lies for 100-150 days.
• Central China has almost continuous rainfall, with warm and humid summers and cold winters. Sometimes typhoons or tropical cyclones occur on the coast.
• South China, partly within the tropics, is the wettest area in summer and has frequent typhoons, especially during July-October.
• South-west China has summer temperatures moderated by altitude. Winters are mild with little rain, whilst summers are wet on the mountains.
• Tibet autonomous region, a high plateau surrounded by mountains, has severe winters with frequent light snow and hard frost. Summers are warm, but nights are cold.
• Xinjiang and the western interior has an arid desert climate, cold winters, and well distributed rainfall throughout the year.
• Inner Mongolia has an extreme continental-type climate, with cold winters and warm summers, and strong winds in winter and spring.

In the winter, visitors are advised to bring heavyweight clothing and boots when visiting the north, and medium-weights for the south. Lightweight cloting is needed for all all areas in the summer.

More information of the Chinese weather may be found in Climate in China.

Festivals

Most festivals follow the Chinese lunar calendar. The Spring Festival is celebrated during the first two weeks of the new lunar year. March sees the celebration of Guanyin's birthday, China's most popular deity. Mid-April is time for the Water Splashing Festival in Yunnan Province. The Dragon-boat Festival, where races are held in memory of Qu Yuan, a poet who drowned himself in 280 BC, takes place in June or July. The Moon Festival is held in September or October, a time for family reunion.

Public Holidays

The following table shows the public holidays celebrated in China: