Shanxi is a landlocked province on the Loess Plateau of north China, west of the Taihang Mountains and east of the Yellow River. It holds more surviving pre-modern timber buildings than any other Chinese province, three UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the Yungang Grottoes, the Ancient City of Pingyao and Mount Wutai), the cliff-clinging Hanging Monastery, the 1056 wooden pagoda of Ying County, the Qing-era merchant mansions of the Jin traders and the thundering Hukou Waterfall on the Yellow River.
Shanxi has a temperate continental monsoon climate shaped by the Loess Plateau and its mountain ranges. Winters are cold and very dry; summers are warm, with most of the year's rain falling in July and August as short, heavy storms. Taiyuan, at about 776 m elevation, averages 10.9°C over the year with only about 430 mm of rain. Datong in the north is colder and windier, while Yuncheng and the Yellow River valley in the south are the warmest parts of the province. Wutai Shan, rising above 3,000 m, is much colder than the lowlands at all seasons. Spring can bring dust from the plateau.
Best time to visit
Best: May–June and September–October
Best Reason: Late spring and early autumn bring dry, sunny days of 20–29°C in Taiyuan, comfortable for walking Pingyao's city wall, the Yungang Grottoes and the Datong old town. Wutai Shan's high terraces are free of snow from late May, and September–October adds clear skies and autumn colour.
Peak Season: July–August (summer holidays and Wutai Shan's busiest pilgrimage season) and National Day Golden Week (1–7 October)
Shoulder Season: April and November
Avoid: December–February for Wutai Shan and northern Shanxi; Spring Festival week for transport
Avoid Reason: Winters are long, dry and very cold, especially in Datong and on Wutai Shan, where mountain roads and peak paths can be icy. Coal heating also brings poor air quality to the cities. Spring Festival makes trains and hotels expensive and crowded.
Month-by-month weather
Typical conditions throughout the year.
January
2°C/-10°C (36°F/14°F) high/low, Taiyuan
The coldest month, dry and often clear; about 3 mm of precipitation. Ice formations at Hukou Waterfall; quiet sites and low prices.
February
7°C/-7°C (44°F/20°F) high/low, Taiyuan
Still cold. Spring Festival and Lantern Festival usually fall in this month or late January, with shehuo parades and lantern displays in Pingyao and Taiyuan but heavy travel demand.
March
13°C/-1°C (56°F/31°F) high/low, Taiyuan
Thawing, windy and dry, with occasional dust. Few visitors; Wutai Shan is still wintry.
April
21°C/6°C (69°F/43°F) high/low, Taiyuan
Mild days and spring blossom; the Cold Food and Qingming holidays bring commemorations at Mianshan near Jiexiu. Good for Pingyao and Datong.
May
26°C/12°C (79°F/53°F) high/low, Taiyuan
Warm, sunny and still fairly dry (about 31 mm of rain). Wutai Shan opens up as snow melts. The May Day holiday is busy.
June
30°C/16°C (85°F/61°F) high/low, Taiyuan
Warm and mostly sunny before the summer rains. Excellent for Wutai Shan and the Hanging Monastery.
July
30°C/19°C (87°F/66°F) high/low, Taiyuan
The wettest month (about 104 mm), with afternoon storms. Peak season at Wutai Shan; Hukou may close briefly during flood peaks.
August
29°C/18°C (83°F/64°F) high/low, Taiyuan
Warm and humid with frequent storms (about 103 mm). Summer holiday crowds at all major sites.
September
24°C/12°C (76°F/54°F) high/low, Taiyuan
Clearing skies and comfortable temperatures; one of the best months. Autumn colour begins at Wutai Shan late in the month.
October
18°C/5°C (65°F/41°F) high/low, Taiyuan
Crisp and clear. National Day Golden Week (1–7 October) is very crowded; the rest of the month is ideal for Pingyao, Datong and Hukou.
November
10°C/-2°C (50°F/28°F) high/low, Taiyuan
Cold arrives quickly and heating season begins in mid-November. Low prices and quiet sites; Wutai Shan is cold.
December
4°C/-8°C (38°F/18°F) high/low, Taiyuan
Cold and very dry (about 3 mm of precipitation). Short days; smog possible in cities.
The seasons
What to expect in each part of the year.
Spring
Months: Mar–May
Temperatures rise fast, from near freezing at night in March to warm days of about 26°C by late May. Skies are mostly dry, though windy days can raise dust. Apricot and peach blossom appear in the Jinzhong countryside in April, while Wutai Shan remains cold and partly snowbound until May.
Summer
Months: Jun–Aug
Warm to hot, with Taiyuan highs around 29–30°C and most of the annual rain in July–August, usually as afternoon thunderstorms. Wutai Shan is pleasantly cool and at its busiest. The Yellow River runs high at Hukou Waterfall, carrying heavy silt.
Fall
Months: Sep–Nov
The most reliable weather of the year: clear, dry and mild in September and October, turning cold in November. Autumn colour reaches Wutai Shan and the Taihang Mountains in late September and October, and Pingyao hosts its photography and film festivals.
Winter
Months: Dec–Feb
Long, cold and very dry. Taiyuan nights fall to about −10°C in January, and Datong and Wutai Shan are colder still. Snow is light but stays on the ground. Hukou Waterfall forms dramatic ice formations in the coldest weeks. Heating-season smog can reduce visibility.
Crowds & peak times
When to expect tourists and when to avoid them.
- High Season
- July–August, National Day Golden Week (1–7 October), May Day holiday (1–5 May) and Spring Festival
- Shoulder Season
- April–June and September–October outside public holidays
- Low Season
- November–March, excluding Spring Festival
Major events & festivals
Time your visit around what matters.
Spring Festival and Lantern Festival shehuo
Chinese New Year brings red lanterns to Pingyao and the merchant compounds; around the Lantern Festival towns across Shanxi stage shehuo parades with stilt-walkers, drum troupes and lion dances
Cold Food Festival (Hanshi) at Mianshan and Jiexiu
Commemorations of Jie Zitui at Mianshan and in Jiexiu, the traditional home of the Cold Food Festival, held just before Qingming
Wutai Shan summer temple fair
The traditional summer gathering at Wutai Shan, when pilgrims fill the monasteries of Taihuai and religious ceremonies are held
Pingyao International Photography Festival
Held annually since 2001, filling Pingyao's old factory spaces and courtyards with exhibitions from Chinese and international photographers
Pingyao International Film Festival
Film festival founded in 2017 by director Jia Zhangke, a Shanxi native, with screenings in a converted factory beside the ancient city