Traveling to China in spring is probably one of the best decisions! The cold, barren winter landscape gives way to vivid greenery and pink and white blossoms, making Chinese cities even more magical 🌸.
This blog post highlights 17 stunning places you can’t miss if you plan a trip to China in Spring 2025.
On top of that, you’ll find the best time to visit each location, allowing you to experience some of the most unique festivals celebrated by China’s ethnic minorities and religious groups.
First time in China? 🏮I wrote a tips-packed China travel guide for first-timers who don’t want to stumble upon last-minute emergencies or nasty surprises. Check it out!
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Looking for China Travel Tips?
- 10 China Travel Tips for Non-Chinese Speakers (To Help You Overcome The Language Barrier)
- 11 Fantastic Ways to Discover China on a Budget Without Losing Your Mental Sanity
- China Packing List: 13 Vital Items To Pack for the Perfect Backpacking Trip
- Why is Spring the Best Time to Visit China?
- 17 Enchanting Places You Have to See in China During Spring
- 1. Beijing
- 2. Nanjing & Suzhou
- 3. Wuxi
- 4. Hangzhou
- 5. Xi’an
- 6. Luoyang
- 7. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
- 8. Wuyuan
- 9. Fujian: Tulou Experience
- 10. Chengdu & Its Surroundings
- 11. Jiuzhaigou Valley
- 12. Yangtze River Cruise
- 13. Guilin & Yangshuo
- 14. Mount Fangjin
- 15. Yunnan: Dali, Lijiang & Xishuangbanna
- 16. Xiahe
- 17. Nyingchi
Why is Spring the Best Time to Visit China?
🏷️ Shoulder Season: March, April, and May offer the perfect balance between nicer weather, reasonable prices, and fewer tourists.
🌸 Cities and National Parks in Full Blossom: China in Spring is a nature’s paradise. Some cities even host lively flower festivals, where you can enjoy colorful floral displays.
Those infinite flower fields are the perfect place to snap beautiful videos and photos. I would consider purchasing an easy-to-carry tripod to make stunning video memories for yourself!
👲 Symbolic Festivals: Spring is also the perfect time to experience some of the most captivating religious festivals celebrated by China’s ethnic minorities.
17 Enchanting Places You Have to See in China During Spring
1. Beijing
🌸 Best Spring Time To Visit: from late April to find fewer tourists
Beijing is one of those cities in China that can be visited year-round.
China’s capital will surprise you with its UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which everyone knows well (and if you don’t, don’t worry – I’ve written a post about all the attractions you absolutely can’t miss in Beijing).
However, spring allows another side of Beijing to come to life.
All its monuments awaken from their winter sleep and are adorned with colorful flowers in shades of white and pink.
Finally, spring is the best time to hike the Great Wall. You’ll enjoy clear skies and lush green landscapes and won’t even break a sweat!
2. Nanjing & Suzhou
đź“ŤJiangsu Province
🌸 Best Spring Time To Visit: March and April to enjoy the gardens in full bloom
When I first visited Suzhou, I named it the “Chinese Venice with loads of gardens.” Suzhou is one of the most famous water towns in China, and it’ll make you want to snap photos of everything.
Every little cute bridge and every house perched over the water looks like it’s straight out of a classic Chinese painting.
As if this wasn’t enough, Suzhou is home to 8 Chinese gardens that thrive during spring, the most famous of which is the Garden of the Humble Administrator.
Discover more about Suzhou’s Idyllic Gardens in this 3-day itinerary!
Nanjing is often considered one of the country’s cleanest and most beautiful cities.
If you’re already visiting Shanghai or Suzhou, it would be a shame to miss the floral decorations at the Nanjing International Plum Blossom Festival.
From the end of February to mid-March, you can head to the hill near the Ming Xiaoling Tomb to enjoy the mountain covered in flowers.
Discover more about Nanjing’s historical buildings and laid-back beauty in this 3-day itinerary!
3. Wuxi
đź“ŤJiangsu Province
🌸 Best Spring Time To Visit: From March to April to experience the city turning into a field of cherry blossoms.
Wuxi, an idyllic water town along the Grand Canal, feels miles away from its noisy, bustling neighbor, Shanghai.
While the 88-meter Lingshan Buddha remains a year-round highlight of Wuxi, the city takes on an entirely different charm in spring.
Cherry blossoms draw tourists from across China, transforming this small town on Taihu Lake into a crowded but dreamy wonderland covered in shades of pink and white.
4. Hangzhou
đź“ŤZhejiang Province
🌸 Best Spring Time to Visit: from late March to early May, West Lake offers vivid, rich vegetation.
West Lake in Hangzhou attracts visitors from all over China, as it represents the charm of classical Chinese beauty and architecture.
Spring is the best time to enjoy the lake: take a calm stroll or a peaceful bike ride on the lake shores, feeling the sun’s warmth on your skin.
In Hangzhou, you can also discover serene temples, such as the Lingyin and the Jingci Temple, as well as pagodas, like the Six Harmonies and the Leifeng Pagodas.
5. Xi’an
đź“ŤShaanxi Province
🌸 Best Spring Time to Visit: from March to April, if you plan on hiking Mount Hua
Xi’an comes alive in Spring: everyone jumps out of their winter blankets to stroll around the Muslim Quarter and taste plenty of spicy street food snacks.
If you plan on visiting this beautiful city, check out this packed 2-day travel itinerary.
In addition, spring is the moment to hike Mount Hua, one of Taoism’s sacred mountains.
The climb to the top of the mountain is steep, but the view once on top is unparalleled.
You can also take the chance to visit the Terracotta Army and (maybe) avoid the crowds!
6. Luoyang
đź“ŤHenan Province
🌸 Best Spring Time to Visit: From April to May to experience the Peony Festival
While the highlight of Luoyang, the Longmen Grottoes, can be visited year-round, there’s only one season to enjoy the Peony Festival.
From mid-April to mid-May, Wangcheng Park and other gardens in Luoyang come alive with peonies in all shades of pink, a paradise for photographers.
7. Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
đź“ŤHunan Province
🌸 Best Spring Time to Visit: From April to May
The otherworldly landscape of Zhangjiajie needs no introduction.
If you’re a nature and adventure lover, you indeed stumbled upon one of its pictures (even more than one).
It’s one of those places that domestic tourists overrun during the holiday period.
Spring may be the perfect time to avoid crowds, even better if you plan on going on a weekday.
The spring season will let you experience this captivating location with clear blue skies, vibrant greenery, and hopefully no people in your photos.
8. Wuyuan
đź“ŤJiangxi Province
🌸 Best Spring Time to Visit: March is the best time to enjoy the bright yellow rapeseed blossom.
Get ready to meet many fellow Chinese travelers heading to Wuyuan, a county famous for its landscapes in Southeast China.
In spring, the golden sea of rapeseed blossoms attracts tourists nationwide.
Here, you can hike through the ancient Huizhou villages, immersing yourself in old China’s traditional food and local customs.
9. Fujian: Tulou Experience
đź“Ť Fujian Province
🌸 Best Spring Time to Visit: from March to April to enjoy the Tulou experience at its best
Sleeping in a Tulou, one of China’s most ancient home structures, is something you must experience once in a lifetime.
Visiting the Fujian province in Spring would be the perfect occasion to immerse yourself in what once was China’s rural life.
The most popular clusters of Tulou are near Nanjing County and Yongding, with well-preserved sites like Hongkeng, Tianluokeng, and Yunshuiyao.
10. Chengdu & Its Surroundings
đź“Ť Sichuan Province
🌸 Best Spring Time to Visit: From March to May to see peach flowers in full blossom
Chengdu is not only home to the sweetest animal on this planet, the Giant Panda, but its surroundings host infinite fields of flowers.
If you plan on visiting Chengdu in spring, make sure to carve out some time to discover the nearby areas:
- Longquan Peach Valley for the peach flower blossom
- Rapeseed Blooms traveling on the highways around Chengdu
- Pear flower in Xinjin
- Peony Flower in Pengzhou
If you’re looking for more places to discover in the beautiful Sichuan capital, this article covers my packed 3-day itinerary between Chengdu and Leshan.
11. Jiuzhaigou Valley
đź“ŤSichuan Province
🌸 Best Spring Time to Visit: In May, you can enjoy the National Park in full bloom (avoid Labor Day)
The Jiuzhaigou Valley is a stunning natural reserve and national park in northern Sichuan.
Due to its untouched nature and landscape diversity, it’s one of the most visited natural sites in the country.
The valley is home to dense forests, waterfalls, nine Tibetan villages (which can be visited), more than 200 bird species, and even endangered wildlife.
Mid-May is the perfect time to discover this area.
12. Yangtze River Cruise
đź“ŤFrom Chongqing
🌸 Best Spring Time to Visit: From April to May to enjoy the best weather and fewer tourists
Cruising the Yangtze River, China’s longest and most scenic waterway, is the ideal way to experience a slow traveling style focused on nature contemplation and mind relaxation.
The main route is between Chongqing and Yichang.
The journey can take four to five days, depending on whether you travel downstream from Chongqing or upstream from Yichang.
13. Guilin & Yangshuo
đź“ŤGuangxi Province
🌸 Best Spring Time to Visit: From March to May to enjoy the best weather and the hills blanketed in rapeseed blossom
If you type “China’s nature” into Google, you’ll find at least one picture of Guilin and Yangshuo’s Karst Hills landscape.
Spring is the perfect moment to enjoy a Li River cruise with the best lighting to snap photos of the dreamy landscape around you.
In this period, hills are covered with rapeseed blossoms, creating a suggestive yellow carpet.
If you consider visiting the Longji rice terraces, you will find an endless expanse of vibrant green.
I didn’t visit Guilin and Yangshuo during the spring; however, this beautiful area in the Guangxi Province is worth discovering in every season. Check this article to find out how to plan the perfect three-day itinerary there!
14. Mount Fangjin
đź“ŤGuizhou Province
🌸 Best Spring Time to Visit: From April to May to see the azaleas blooming
Still relatively unknown to many foreign tourists, Mount Fangjin is easily one of the most mystical places in China and is right at the top of my bucket list.
Everything about it—from its remote location to the clouds floating around its peaks and the Buddhist temples perched on the mountaintop, creates a magical and spiritual atmosphere.
The skies here are often fog-covered, making it hard to see the mountain from a distance. But spring might be the best time to catch clear skies, allowing you fantastic views and photos.
15. Yunnan: Dali, Lijiang & Xishuangbanna
đź“ŤYunnan Province
🌸 Best Spring Time to Visit: From March to April to experience some of the local festivals
The Yunnan Province, located in the southwest, is without a doubt one of the most intriguing areas in China.
Besides the landscape and nature’s stunning diversity, Yunnan is home to the most diverse ethnic communities.
Spring is the perfect season to enjoy unforgettable religious and cultural festivals, including:
Sanduo Festival: a religious festival for the Naxi minority in Lijiang. It usually takes place in March (the day may vary) and involves a sacrifice to their patron saint, Saint Sanduo.
Third Moon Fair: Bai minority Festival in Dali. This festival usually takes place from the 15th to the 21st of April (although it may vary) and is characterized by horse racing and singing performances.
Xishuangbanna’s Water Splashing Festival: This Dai minority festival takes place in the extreme southwest area of Yunnan in mid-April.
It’s regarded as the Dai’s New Year celebration, a time to flush away the past year’s dirt, demons, and sorrows and jump into the new one with joy.
16. Xiahe
đź“ŤGansu Province
🌸 Best Spring Time to Visit: From March to May to experience Tibetan Buddhism’s Festivals
Xiahe, one of the most significant monastery towns outside Tibet, is home to the famous Labrang Monastery.
While you can visit the site and its surroundings year-round, Spring is the ideal moment to dive deeper into Tibetan Buddhism and discover its festivals, such as the Monlam Festival.
Usually held in late February or early March, it involves days of processions, prayer assemblies, and pilgrims from all over the country wandering around.
If you’re interested in planning a trip to the Gansu province, one of the most intriguing regions in China, check out the tour I took!
17. Nyingchi
đź“ŤTibet Autonomous Region
🌸 Best Spring Time to Visit: From the end of March to experience the Peach Blossom Festival
While most of the Tibetan region remains blanketed in snow, Nyingchi, a village in Eastern Tibet, comes alive with its peach flowers in full blossom.
Spring it’s the perfect time to visit, not only for the stunning blooms but also for the Tibetan cultural events.
You will have the chance to immerse yourself in lantern shows, traditional music performances, and stone-carrying competitions.
These celebrations preserve the rich heritage of Tibetan communities. The perfect place for an out-of-the-box China trip in spring!
This blog post lists 17 enchanting places to discover for a Spring trip to China.
I hope it inspires you to plan your adventure and include some of these destinations, which come alive during spring!
Related Posts That May Inspire Your Next Adventure:
- 10 Tourist Attractions You Can’t-Miss if It’s Your First Time in China
- 2-Week China Travel Itinerary: 6 Cities & All The Tips For First-Time Travelers
- 36 Best Places to Visit in China That You Probably Don’t Know Yet
DISCLAIMER: These suggestions are purely based on my experiences during my trip and are meant to provide recommendations for your adventure. Feel free to adapt them to your preferences—there is no need to follow them in detail. All instructions mentioned reflect my personal experiences at the time of writing and may have changed since. All opinions and recommendations are my own, rooted in my unique journey through China.
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