Shanxi Weather & Seasons - Best Time to Visit Shanxi

Shanxi Province is located in the inland of the mid-latitude zone, which belongs to a temperate continental monsoon climate. Taiyuan is the capital of Shaxi, while Pingyao is located in the central area, and Datong and Mount Wutai are in the northern area. The climate of Shanxi has four distinct seasons, sufficient sunshine, significant climate difference between North and south, the great temperature difference between winter and summer, and the large temperature difference between day and night. The annual average temperature in Shanxi Province is between 4.2 ℃ and 14.2 ℃, and the overall temperature trend is increasing from north to south, and decreasing from basin to mountain; the annual precipitation is between 358-621 mm, and the seasonal rainfall is uneven. The precipitation from June to August in summer is relatively concentrated, accounting for 60% of the annual precipitation, and the precipitation in Shanxi is greatly affected by the topography.

Best Time to Visit Shanxi

From May to October is the best time to visit Shaxi, namely from late spring to mid-autumn. The coldest month usually occurs in January and the hottest day always falls in July.

Weather Forecast for Major Cities in Shanxi:

● Taiyuan Weather
● Pingyao Weather
● Datong Weather
● Wytaishan (Mount Wutai) Weather

Average Shanxi Temperature by Month

Month	Max Temp.	Min Temp.
Jan.	°C	°C
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Apr.	°C	°C
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Jul.	°C	°C
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Shanxi Seasons to Go

Shanxi Weather in Spring (March, April, May)

Spring is from March to May. Here, it is windy and chilly in the early spring and the temperature varies between day and night. Also, it is extremely dry and prone to dust storms. Please take sunglasses and a hat to keep off the wind and sands. In April and May, go to the largest waterfalls on Yellow River - Hukou Waterfall. You may be able to see rainbow on a fine weather.

• Recommended Attractions in Shanxi in Spring: Pingyao (Pingyao Ancient City, Wang's Family Compound, Qiao's Family Compound, Shuanglin Temple); Datong (Hanging Temple, Yungang Caves, Wooden Pagoda); Taiyuan (Jinci Temple, Shanxi Museum); Mount Wutai; Hukou Waterfall

✔ Popular Shanxi Tour: 6 Days Essence of Shanxi Tour

Pingyao Spring Festival

Taiyuan in Spring

March: -2°C ~ 11°C

April: 5°C ~ 20°C

May: 11°C ~ 25°C

Rainfall: 13mm ~ 33mm

Sunrise: 5:10am-7:02am

Sunset: 6:22pm-7:45pm

Pingyao in Spring

March: -2°C ~ 11°C

April: 5°C ~ 19°C

May: 11°C ~ 25°C

Rainfall: 14mm ~ 34mm

Sunrise: 5:13am-7:02am

Sunset: 6:24pm-7:44pm

Datong in Spring

March: -6°C ~ 8°C

April: 2°C ~ 16°C

May: 8°C ~ 23°C

Rainfall: 9mm ~ 30mm

Sunrise: 5:00am-7:01am

Sunset: 6:17pm-7:48pm

Mt Wutai in Spring

March: -11°C ~ -2°C

April: -5°C ~ 5°C

May: 2°C ~ 11°C

Rainfall: 27mm ~ 230mm

Sunrise: 5:02am-6:59am

Sunset: 6:17pm-7:44pm

Shanxi Weather in Summer (June, July, August)

June to August is summer in Shanxi. Summer is hot and rainy. And June to August has the most rainfall, accounting for 60 percent of the total. It is the best time to visit Mount Wutai, one of the Four Sacred Mountains in Chinese Buddhism. From July 25 to August 25, it is the Wutaishan Tourism Month that lots of activities related to Buddhism are held.

• Recommended Attractions in Shanxi in Summer: Pingyao (Pingyao Ancient City, Wang's Family Compound, Qiao's Family Compound, Shuanglin Temple); Datong (Hanging Temple, Yungang Caves, Wooden Pagoda); Taiyuan (Jinci Temple); Mount Wutai; Hukou Waterfall

✔ Popular Shanxi Tour: 5 Days Datong & Wutaishan Discovery Tour

Mount Wutai in Summer

Taiyuan in Summer

June: 15°C ~ 29°C

July: 18°C ~ 29°C

August: 17°C ~ 28°C

Rainfall: 56mm ~ 107mm

Sunrise: 5:07am-5:58am

Sunset: 7:01pm-7:55pm

Pingyao in Summer

June: 15°C ~ 29°C

July: 18°C ~ 30°C

August: 17°C ~ 28°C

Rainfall: 58mm ~ 129mm

Sunrise: 5:10am-6:00am

Sunset: 7:01pm-7:54pm

Datong in Summer

June: 13°C ~ 27°C

July: 16°C ~ 28°C

August: 15°C ~ 26°C

Rainfall: 49mm ~ 101mm

Sunrise: 4:47am-5:52am

Sunset: 7:01pm-7:59pm

Mt Wutai in Summer

June: 6°C ~ 14°C

July: 9°C ~ 16°C

August: 8°C ~ 15°C

Rainfall: 173mm ~ 256mm

Sunrise: 4:59am-5:52am

Sunset: 6:58pm-7:55pm

Shanxi Weather in Autumn (Sept, Oct, Nov)

Autumn is short and mild. It is the best time to visit all the places in Shanxi province. You could come to Pingyao to enjoy the Pingyao International Photography Festival which is held in mid-September every year or head to Datong to Yungang Caves and the hanging temple, etc.

• Recommended Attractions in Shanxi in Autumn: Pingyao (Pingyao Ancient City, Wang's Family Compound, Qiao's Family Compound, Shuanglin Temple); Datong (Hanging Temple, Yungang Caves, Wooden Pagoda); Taiyuan (Jinci Temple, Shanxi Museum); Mount Wutai; Hukou Waterfall

✔ Popular Shanxi Tour: 8 Days Ancient Beijing & Shanxi Culture Tour

Hanging Temple in Autumn

Taiyuan in Autumn

Sept: 11°C ~ 24°C

Oct: 4°C ~ 18°C

Nov: -3°C ~ 10°C

Rainfall: 10mm ~ 52mm

Sunrise: 5:29am-7:24am

Sunset: 5:11pm-6:15pm

Pingyao in Autumn

Sept: 11°C ~ 23°C

Oct: 5°C ~ 18°C

Nov: -2°C ~ 10°C

Rainfall: 14mm ~ 72mm

Sunrise: 6:00am-7:24am

Sunset: 5:14pm-7:00pm

Datong in Autumn

Sept: 9°C ~ 22°C

Oct: 2°C ~ 15°C

Nov: -7°C ~ 6°C

Rainfall: 8mm ~ 51mm

Sunrise: 5:23am-6:55am

Sunset: 5:02pm-6:59pm

Mt Wutai in Autumn

Sept: 3°C ~ 10°C

Oct: -4°C ~ 4°C

Nov: -11°C ~ -3°C

Rainfall: 34mm ~ 93mm

Sunrise: 5:53am-7:24am

Sunset: 5:04pm-6:57pm

Shanxi Weather in Winter (Dec, Jan, Feb)

Winter in Shanxi is long, cold, and dry. The coldest month is January, and the average temperature is about - 4˚C. Though it is very cold, if you prefer to celebrate a traditional Chinese New Year, go to Pingyao Ancient city or stay indoor like Shanxi Museum to enjoy the ancient treasures. You’ll immerse yourself in a happy year in a local way, in a traditional way.

• Recommended Attractions in Shanxi in Winter: Pingyao (Pingyao Ancient City, Wang's Family Compound, Qiao's Family Compound, Shuanglin Temple); Datong (Hanging Temple, Wooden Pagoda); Taiyuan (Shanxi Museum)

✔ Popular Shanxi Tour: 11 Days Golden Triangle Tour with Shanxi Highlights

Collection of Shanxi Museum

Taiyuan in Winter

Dec: -9°C ~ 3°C

Jan: -12°C ~ 2°C

Feb: -8°C ~ 5°C

Rainfall: 3mm ~ 5mm

Sunrise: 7:02am-7:45am

Sunset: 5:11pm-6:22pm

Pingyao in Winter

Dec: -9°C ~ 3°C

Jan: -11°C ~ 2°C

Feb: -8°C ~ 5°C

Rainfall: 3mm ~ 6mm

Sunrise: 7:04am-7:44am

Sunset: 5:13pm-6:23pm

Datong in Winter

Dec: -14°C ~ -2°C

Jan: -17°C ~ -4°C

Feb: -13°C ~ 1°C

Rainfall: 2mm ~ 3mm

Sunrise: 7:28am-7:48am

Sunset: 5:02pm-5:43pm

Mt Wutai in Winter

Dec: -17°C ~ -9°C

Jan: -19°C ~ -10°C

Feb: -16°C ~ -8°C

Rainfall: 4mm ~ 26mm

Sunrise: 7:00am-7:45am

Sunset: 5:03pm-6:16pm

How to Plan a Shanxi Tour

Top Places to Visit in Shanxi: Datong Yungang Grottoes, Pingyao Ancient City, Mount Wutai, Wang’s Family Compound, Hukou Waterfall, etc.

How to Get to Shanxi: Take flight to Taiyuan Airport, Wutaishan Airport, or take high speed trains to Datong, Pingyao, Taiyuan, Linfen…

Shanxi is an excellent region to explore different treasures of ancient China. Depending on your itinerary, you can either spend 2 days visiting one destination only or take more time, maybe 1 week to cover major highlights in Shanxi, touring Datong, Pingyao, Mount Wutai and Hukou Waterfall in one single trip.

Most tourists tend to spend 4 days touring two top destinations of Shanxi, such as Datong and Pingyao, Datong and Mount Wutai. If you want to take an in-depth Shanxi tour with more attractions and experience some interesting local activities, 6 days is enough for a combined trip to Datong, Mount Wutai, Pingyao and Taiyuan while 7 days is suitable with extra trip to Hukou Waterfall.

☛ 4 Days Essence of Datong & Pingyao Tour
☛ 4 Days Datong Wutaishan Discovery Tour
☛ 6 Days Datong Pingyao Tour plus Wutaishan Visit
☛ 7 Days Shanxi Diversity Tour including Hukou Waterfall

Want to extend trip longer with other parts of China? Then, Beijing and Xian are the two most recommended places to travel with Shanxi. Also, you can explore famous destinations in neighboring provinces, like Luoyang, Zhengzhou, or get to Shanghai and other Chinese cities. If you plan to have a short side trip to Shanxi from Beijing, or Xian, you can spare 2 days to visit one destination as well. China Discovery is always prepared to offer you the best Shanxi tours and customized service for a satisfied itinerary based on your requirement.

☛ 9 Days Ancient Treasure of China Tour
☛ 8 Days Ancient Beijing and Shanxi Culture Tour
☛ 6 Days Beijing Pingyao Highlights Tour
☛ 6 Days Beijing Datong Essence Tour

Yungang Grottoes, Hanging Temple, Pingyao and Mount Wutai in Shanxi

Travel with China Discovery

China Discovery is an experienced, professional and a reliable travel companion devoted to offering high-quality and the best tour services for all travelers to China. In order to have a hassle-free travel and focus on the trip itself, it’s highly recommended travelling with China Discovery. So, you can enjoy convenient airport pick-up and drop-off service and transportation to all scenic spots in a safe, clean, comfortable, air-conditioned and non-smoking vehicle. Also, we will arrange knowledgeable local tour guide, excellent accommodation and dining arrangements to ensure you rest well and get better understanding of local culture. You may select a favorite from our most popular Shanxi Tours or contact us to design a unique itinerary according to your personal time and preference.

We have helped many global travelers enjoy their memorable wonderful trips to Shanxi for the past few years. Among them, a sweet couple from the UK traveled with us and spent 21 Happy Days in Datong, Pingyao, Mount Wutai, Xi'an and 5 Other Cities in Northern China, and shared us their special travel story!

Moreover, we got more than 2,050+ good reviews on TripAdvisor.com, and over 4,070+ China travel reviews from our customers. Travel with China Discovery to create your great China trip memories!

Keep Reading about Shanxi Travel Guide

Recommended Shanxi Tours

Top 3 Shanxi tours chosen by most customers to explore Shanxi in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary,or tailor your own trip now with us.

6 Day Datong Pingyao Tour Plus Wutaishan Visit

Datong / Wutaishan / Taiyuan / Pingyao

4 Days Essence of Datong & Pingyao Tour

Datong / Pingyao

7 Days Shanxi Diversity Tour including Hukou Waterfall

Datong / Wutaishan / Pingyiao / Hukou Waterfall

Start planning your tailor-made holiday to China by contacting one of our specialists. Once inquired, you’ll get a response within 0.5~23.5 hours.

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