Best Time to Visit Nanchang

Autumn is the sweet spot

October is our top pick, and November is close behind. Days in October are warm but not heavy, and it's the driest stretch of the year, with rain on only about seven days. September is good too, though afternoons still feel sticky. By November the evenings turn cool enough for a jacket.

This is the best time for walking the Tengwang Pavilion area beside the Gan River, the city's best-known sight. It's also good for the Bayi Square area and for day trips to Mount Lu (Lushan) or Wuyuan's villages. Early autumn trips to Lushan get views without the summer heat. Expect busier sites during China's National Day holiday in the first week of October. Hotels fill up, and queues form at Tengwang Pavilion.

Spring and early summer: green but soggy

March to June is wet. March and April bring rain on 16 days each, and June is the wettest month of the year, with rain on 19 days. The sun rarely shows for long. May and June also turn muggy fast.

Still, spring has its charms. Wuyuan's rapeseed flowers bloom in the countryside around March and April, and they're the reason many people come to Jiangxi. If you don't mind a umbrella in hand, it's a fine time for photos and quieter streets. Around late spring or early summer, the Dragon Boat Festival brings races and zongzi, sticky rice dumplings wrapped in leaves. Nanchang is on a big river, so it's a good place to catch it.

Summer and winter: pick your discomfort

July and August are the hottest months, tied at 32°C highs and 25°C lows. Nights don't cool off much. It's drier than June, with more sun, but the humidity stays high. If you hate heat, skip them, or escape to the cooler hills of Lushan. School holidays mean more domestic families travelling, mostly at the mountain spots.

Winter is cold and grey rather than harsh. January is the coldest month, with highs of 11°C and lows near 1°C. Homes here often have little heating, so indoor evenings can feel chillier than you'd expect. Warm up with a bowl of Nanchang's famous rice noodles, which come in a spicy broth. December is surprisingly dry and a good budget option. Chinese New Year in January or February is the time to avoid unless you want to see local traditions. Many shops close, and the city empties as people head home.