Best Time to Visit Fushun

Spring and autumn: the sweet spots

April, May, September and October all rate Excellent, and they're the months to aim for. May and September score highest. Days are mild, nights are cool, and you can walk around without sweating or shivering.

April is crisp and fairly dry. Trees are still waking up, so it looks a bit bare. By May the hills around the city are green, though it rains on about ten days. Showers are usually short. September is a touch drier and the air feels clean. October brings colder nights, but days stay bright, and autumn colour turns the hills red and gold. If you want to see Fushun's countryside, this is the time.

Summer: warm and wet

June is still pleasant, but July and August are the wettest months, with around 15 or 16 rainy days each. July is the hottest too, and also rates Poor. It's sticky, grey and often damp, and you get the least sunshine of the year. Hiking can turn muddy, and views get hazy.

Is summer worth it? If school holidays are your only window, yes, but plan around the rain. Spend wet afternoons indoors, then head out again when it clears. Domestic tourists are most common in July and August, so popular spots feel busier than in spring or autumn. Fushun isn't a huge tourist city, though, so crowds stay modest.

Winter: cold, dry and snowy

From December to February it's seriously cold. January is the coldest month, with highs of -7°C and nights at -17°C. It's dry, but the cold bites, especially on windy days. Sightseeing outdoors gets short and tiring.

Still, winter suits a certain traveller. If you like snow and don't mind the cold, northeast China has a strong winter-sports culture, and Fushun sits close to Shenyang, the regional hub, so ski resorts are within reach. Chinese New Year falls in late January or February and shifts each year. Many shops and restaurants close for a few days, and trains fill up. Avoid travelling then unless you want to see the holiday itself.

March and November are in-between months. They rate Fair, with thawing slush in spring and freezing wind in late autumn. They're quiet and cheap-feeling, but not pretty.