Best Time to Visit Zunyi

Spring and autumn: the sweet spots

March and November score best here. In March, days are mild at around 20°C and the hills turn green. Rain shows up on a fair few days, but it's mostly light drizzle. November is the drier of the two, with cool, calm days that suit walking around the old Communist Party sites. Zunyi is best known for the 1935 Zunyi Meeting, and the Meeting Site museum is a short, easy visit in either season.

October is also good, though it's damper than you'd expect. Skies are often grey in Zunyi all year, so don't plan around big sunshine. Plan around being comfortable instead.

Summer: warm, wet and green

May and June are the wettest stretch. June is the soggiest month by far, and May isn't much better, with rain on 21 days in both. If you're coming for hiking, these months are tough, since paths get muddy and views get lost in cloud.

July and August are hotter, at about 30°C, but a bit drier and sunnier. That makes August the best of the summer months. It's still sticky, so pick indoor stops for the afternoon, then head out again in the evening. Travelling with kids? Chishui, a bamboo-covered area north of the city, is cooler and greener in summer, and its waterfalls are at their fullest after the rains.

Summer is also when Chinese families take school-holiday trips, so Chishui and the main museums can be busy in July and August.

Winter and crowds

December and January are cold and damp, with lows near freezing and very little sun. It's not snowy, but it feels raw indoors and out, since many buildings have no central heating. Dress for it if you visit. The upside is quiet streets and few other visitors.

February is a good in-between month. It's still cool, but drier, and Chinese New Year usually falls in late January or February. Expect many shops to close for a few days and trains to fill up. Once the holiday passes, the city settles down again.

Zunyi is also known for its Moutai-region liquor culture. Nearby Maotai town makes the famous baijiu (a strong grain spirit), and it's easiest to visit in the cooler, drier months.

Big crowds are rare outside the national holidays. For the easiest trip, aim for March or November. For the greenest, pick August and take an umbrella.