Best Time to Visit Heze

Spring: peony season starts

March is cool and mostly dry, and it's rated Excellent. April warms up nicely, with highs around 24°C. May is warmer still and has more rain, but it's still rated Excellent.

Heze is known across China as the "peony city." The flowers bloom from mid-April into early May, and that's the best reason to come. Cao Zhou Peony Garden is the best known spot, and there's a peony festival around the bloom. Dates shift with the weather, so check locally. Expect tour groups and domestic visitors on weekends, and the May Day holiday week is the busiest of the year. If you hate crowds, go on a weekday.

Summer: hot, then very wet

June is hot and fairly dry compared with what follows, though it's only rated Fair. Then July arrives. It's the wettest month by far, with 210 mm on 16 days, and it's also the muggiest. August is nearly as bad, with 148 mm on 14 days.

Rain here often comes in heavy bursts, so days out can get messy. July and August are rated Poor, and school holidays bring local families. The upside is low prices on rooms and thin crowds at sights, but you'll be dodging downpours. Indoor stops like museums and teahouses are your fallback.

Autumn: the easy season

September still has some rain, but the heat has eased and it's rated Excellent. October is the real winner. It's dry, with highs near 23°C, cool nights and plenty of sun. November is cooler, with highs around 15°C, and it's still rated Excellent. It's a calm month for walking the old streets and eating local food like Shandong-style mutton soup, a warming favourite in the cooler months.

China's National Day holiday in the first week of October fills trains and hotels, so aim for mid or late October if you can. September and October are the best bet for a relaxed trip without the peony crowds.

Winter: quiet and cold

December to February is cold, with nights below freezing and highs between 5°C and 9°C. It's dry, but it's rated Fair, and sights are quiet. You'll have places to yourself, though gardens are bare. Chinese New Year, usually in late January or February, brings a burst of family travel and many local shops close for a few days.