Zhejiang is a coastal province in eastern China, on the southern shore of the Yangtze River Delta and the East China Sea. It is one of China's smallest provinces by land area yet one of its wealthiest and most densely populated, anchored by the historic capital Hangzhou and its famous West Lake. Zhejiang is celebrated for its canal-laced water towns, sacred Buddhist mountain of Putuo Shan, tea plantations, and a coastline scattered with thousands of islands.
Zhejiang has a humid subtropical monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. Winters are cool and damp (Hangzhou averages 5-9°C in January) with occasional cold snaps but rarely heavy snow on the plains. Summers are hot and humid (July-August averaging 28-33°C) with high humidity making the heat feel intense. The province experiences a distinctive Meiyu (plum rain) season of persistent drizzle from mid-June to early July, followed by a hot, sometimes typhoon-affected summer along the coast from July to September. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for sightseeing.
Best time to visit
Best: Year-round
Avoid: None
Month-by-month weather
Typical conditions throughout the year.
January
5°C/41°F
Cold and damp with grey skies typical for the season; quiet, atmospheric West Lake and lowest hotel prices of the year
February
7°C/45°F
Still cold and often wet; Chinese New Year travel (dates vary) brings a national travel surge and can affect train and hotel availability
March
11°C/52°F
Spring arrives, plum and cherry blossoms begin, tea plantations turn green ahead of the harvest
April
17°C/63°F
Comfortable and green; Qingming Festival and fresh pre-rain Longjing tea harvest draw domestic visitors to the tea hills
May
22°C/72°F
Warm and pleasant, ideal for walking West Lake and the water towns before the plum rains and summer heat arrive
June
26°C/79°F
Meiyu plum rain season begins mid-month, bringing weeks of persistent drizzle and high humidity; the Dragon Boat Festival brings Hangzhou's dragon boat races around this time
July
31°C/88°F
Hot and humid with intense midday sun; typhoon season begins along the coast, occasionally affecting Zhoushan and Putuoshan ferries
August
32°C/90°F
Hottest month, oppressively humid on the plains; peak typhoon risk for the coast, though inland attractions remain accessible
September
27°C/81°F
Cooling gradually with occasional lingering typhoon effects early in the month; the West Lake Autumn Moon Festival gatherings begin as the month progresses
October
21°C/70°F
Clear, comfortable, and one of the best months overall; National Day Golden Week (Oct 1-7) brings very heavy domestic crowds and higher prices
November
15°C/59°F
Crisp and mild with fewer crowds after Golden Week ends; excellent light for photography around West Lake
December
8°C/46°F
Cool and damp, the start of the quiet, low-price winter season with occasional atmospheric light snow around West Lake
The seasons
What to expect in each part of the year.
Spring
Months: Mar-May
Mild, increasingly warm temperatures (12-22°C) with blossoming gardens around West Lake and greening tea plantations in the Longjing hills. The Qingming Festival in early April brings both tomb-sweeping travel and the season's first fresh Longjing tea harvest.
Summer
Months: Jun-Aug
Hot and humid (28-33°C), beginning with the Meiyu plum rain season of near-daily drizzle from mid-June to early July, followed by intense heat and potential typhoons affecting the coast, including Zhoushan and Putuoshan, from July through September.
Fall
Months: Sep-Nov
Warm early autumn cools into crisp, comfortable conditions by October and November, with the West Lake Autumn Moon Festival gatherings and clearer skies making this widely regarded as the best season to visit Hangzhou and the water towns.
Winter
Months: Dec-Feb
Cool and damp on the plains (5-9°C in Hangzhou) with occasional cold, grey stretches; snow is uncommon but not unheard of. Fewer tourists visit, and West Lake takes on a quiet, atmospheric character, especially after any light snowfall.
Crowds & peak times
When to expect tourists and when to avoid them.
- High Season
- Oct 1-7 (National Day Golden Week) and around Chinese New Year (Jan/Feb, dates vary); spring and autumn weekends around West Lake
- Shoulder Season
- Apr-May and Sep-Nov (best combination of comfortable weather and manageable crowds)
- Low Season
- Dec-Feb and the Jun-Aug plum rain/typhoon/heat stretch (quietest, though summer heat and rain are the deterrent rather than crowd levels)
Major events & festivals
Time your visit around what matters.
Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day)
A traditional festival for honoring ancestors that coincides with the picking of the season's finest pre-rain Longjing tea in the hills above Hangzhou, a prized harvest among tea connoisseurs
Dragon Boat Festival
Hangzhou and other Zhejiang waterways host dragon boat races with rhythmic drumming and zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), one of China's most vibrant traditional festivals
Meiyu (Plum Rain) Season
A weeks-long stretch of persistent drizzle and high humidity across the Yangtze Delta region, including all of Zhejiang, that shapes travel planning for early summer visits
West Lake Autumn Moon Festival Gatherings
Mid-Autumn Festival moon-viewing traditions center on West Lake's Three Pools Mirroring the Moon islet, one of the most celebrated moon-viewing spots in China, with mooncakes and lakeside gatherings
National Day Golden Week
A nationwide holiday that brings the year's heaviest domestic tourist crowds to West Lake, Wuzhen, and Xitang; hotel prices spike and popular sites become very congested
Typhoon Season (Coastal Zhejiang)
Tropical storms and typhoons periodically affect Zhoushan, Putuoshan, and other coastal areas, sometimes disrupting ferries and flights; inland Hangzhou is less affected but can see heavy rain