Best Time to Visit Taizhou

Spring and autumn: the best windows

April and May are the sweet spot. Days run from mild to warm, and the rain is steady but not heavy. March is also rated Excellent, though it's cooler and nights can still feel chilly. October and November are just as good. October is the sunniest of the comfortable months, and it has fewer rainy days than most.

Taizhou is a canal city on the Yangtze plain. Spring and autumn suit walking the old streets around Fengcheng River and the Qintong area. They also suit a day out to Liuyun or a trip to the Xinghua rapeseed fields. Those fields, known as Qianduo Yutian ("thousand-island rapeseed fields"), turn yellow in April. They're the main reason to visit then. Want the best photos? Come in the middle of the month, but weekends bring day-trippers from Nanjing and Shanghai.

Summer: hot, damp and wet

June brings the plum rain season, called meiyu. It's grey, muggy and showery, with 12 rainy days. July is the worst month. It's the wettest, with 264 mm on 18 days, and the nights stay warm at 24°C. August ties July for the hottest highs and the warmest nights, but it's drier. Afternoons feel sticky. Storms can roll in fast.

If you have to come in summer, plan around the weather. Spend midday in a museum or teahouse, and save canal walks for the evening. Summer is low season for foreign visitors, but Chinese school holidays run through July and August. Local families fill the attractions then.

Winter: quiet and cold

December to February is cold, damp and often grey. Nights dip below freezing, and homes here often have little heating, so indoor places can feel chilly. December is the driest month, with only 5 rainy days, and it's the sunniest. That makes it the best of the cold months for a short city break.

Winter suits you if you hate crowds and want warm food. Try Taizhou's breakfast scene: tangbao (soup dumplings) and the local noodle dishes. Chinese New Year falls in late January or February, and many shops and restaurants close for several days. Travel around it is very busy, so check the date before you book.

Which month for which trip?

For rapeseed flowers and easy walking, pick April. For warm days without the humidity, choose May. For clear skies and comfortable afternoons, go in October or November. Choose December for quiet streets. Avoid July unless you can't go any other time.