China in April
For a first trip to China, April may be the best month of all. Beijing turns green and warm without summer heat, Luoyang's peonies bloom, and Hangzhou picks its most prized green tea. Suzhou's gardens are at their freshest, and in Xishuangbanna the Dai people splash water to welcome their new year.
April has its own pinch points. The Qingming holiday (5 April in 2027), the Shanghai Formula 1 weekend (16–18 April 2027) and the spring Canton Fair in Guangzhou (usually 15 April–5 May) each push up prices in specific places for specific days. Plan around those, and the rest of the month is easy.
Photo: 阿橋 HQ · Source · CC BY-SA 2.0
April weather by city
| City | Avg high | Avg low | Rain | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing | 21 °C (70 °F) | 9 °C (48 °F) | 22 mm | 4 |
| Xi'an | 22 °C (72 °F) | 9 °C (49 °F) | 50 mm | 8 |
| Shanghai | 21 °C (70 °F) | 13 °C (55 °F) | 84 mm | 11 |
| Chengdu | 23 °C (74 °F) | 14 °C (56 °F) | 48 mm | 14 |
| Guangzhou | 26 °C (80 °F) | 20 °C (67 °F) | 194 mm | 15 |
| Kunming | 24 °C (76 °F) | 12 °C (54 °F) | 25 mm | 6 |
| Harbin | 14 °C (57 °F) | 2 °C (35 °F) | 19 mm | 7 |
| Lhasa | 16 °C (62 °F) | 3 °C (38 °F) | 8 mm | 5 |
- Beijing and Xi'an: Around 21–22 °C by day, with mostly dry, sunny weeks. From late April, poplar and willow trees shed fluffy seed (杨絮) for a few weeks. It drifts through the streets and bothers allergy sufferers.
- Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou: About 21 °C with frequent light rain. These are lovely garden days, but bring an umbrella.
- Chengdu: It warms to 23 °C, with hazy, humid days.
- Guangzhou: Spring rains start in earnest, with 194 mm and 15 wet days on average, and it is already warm at 26 °C.
- Kunming: Warm and still mostly dry, though the first storms arrive at month's end.
- Harbin: The ice has melted, but the trees are still bare. April is a gap month in the northeast.
- Lhasa: Spring days of 16 °C. Nyingchi's peach blossom peaks in early April.
Where to go in April
Luoyang: peony season
Luoyang has bred tree peonies for more than a thousand years. The Luoyang Peony Culture Festival ran from 1 to 30 April in 2026, the city's 43rd edition. Bloom comes in three stages:
- Early bloom: Around 28 March to 6 April, in the warmer city-center gardens.
- Peak bloom: About 7–15 April, when the main gardens are fullest.
- Late bloom: 16 April into early May, carried by later-flowering varieties and cooler hill gardens outside the city.
Pair a peony morning with the Longmen Grottoes and the old city. The Luoyang 3-day itinerary and the Xi'an vs Luoyang comparison show how to combine them.
Hangzhou: Longjing tea harvest
Hangzhou's most valued Longjing (Dragon Well) tea is pre-Qingming tea (明前茶), picked before about 5 April. Picking continues through April in the villages of Longjing, Meijiawu and Wengjiawu above West Lake. Walk up the tea terraces from West Lake, watch the leaves being pan-fired by hand in village workshops, and drink the new season's tea in a farmhouse. Buy from a grower who shows you the leaf and fires it in front of you. The Hangzhou 4-day itinerary has a tea-village day.
Beijing: the best weeks before the heat
Beijing has blossoms at the Summer Palace and Yuyuantan Park in early April, and Great Wall hillsides turn green by mid-month. The scenic S2 suburban railway to Badaling passes stretches of blossom near Juyongguan, and its spring trains are a local favorite. Book the Palace Museum seven days ahead, because April weekends sell out.
Suzhou and the water towns
Suzhou's gardens fill with wisteria, crabapple and fresh green in April, and the canals of Tongli and Zhouzhuang are pleasant before the heat. Several of Suzhou's classical gardens switch to higher peak-season admission in mid-April. Visit the Humble Administrator's Garden at opening time to get ahead of the tour groups.
Photo: Sir Stubbs · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Xishuangbanna: the Water-Splashing Festival
The Dai New Year, or Water-Splashing Festival (泼水节), is held in Jinghong every year from 13 to 15 April. The program includes dragon-boat races on the Lancang (Mekong) River, a lantern-and-fireworks night and, on the main day, citywide water fights. Hotels in Jinghong book up weeks in advance. If you join in, protect your phone in a waterproof pouch. See Xishuangbanna.
Guilin and Yangshuo
Guilin's karst is at its greenest, and rising river levels mean the Li River cruises run fully. It is also the start of the rainy season, so pick a base in Yangshuo and keep a free day for a clear morning on the Li River cruise or the Yulong River bamboo rafts.
In season in April
| What | Where | When | How to do it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longjing tea, two grades | Longjing, Meijiawu and Wengjiawu, Hangzhou | Pre-Qingming tea (明前) to about 5 April; pre-Grain Rain tea (雨前) to about 20 April | Pre-Grain Rain leaves commonly sell for 30–50% less than pre-Qingming and taste nearly as fresh. Buy from the village sales points, where you can taste for free and the bag gets an anti-counterfeit label. Compare tea-picking packages carefully, because quality varies widely |
| Wild azalea forest | Baili Dujuan (百里杜鹃), Bijie, Guizhou | Late March through April | One of the largest wild azalea forests in China. Go on a weekday, and combine it with Guiyang |
| Jacaranda streets | Jiaochang Middle Road, Kunming; Xichang, Sichuan | Late April into May | Arrive early in the morning, before traffic and photographers fill the street |
| Green rice balls | Jiangnan bakeries | Until Qingming | See March. After Qingming they get harder to find |
The classic route in April
| Stop | April conditions | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing and the Great Wall | The best spring weeks: blossoms early, green hills by mid-month, weekends sold out | Book the Palace Museum at 20:00 seven days ahead, and reserve weekday slots for the busiest sites |
| Xi'an | Mild, with highs around 20 °C | Insert Luoyang between Beijing and Xi'an for peonies. A visitor reported the 2026 peak in Wangcheng Park and the Sui-Tang garden as roughly 7–20 April |
| Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou | Tea harvest, wisteria and fresh green gardens. Several Suzhou gardens raise admission from mid-April | Visit tea villages on a weekday, and avoid Shanghai's F1 weekend unless you are going to the race |
| Chengdu pandas | Mild mornings, entry from 07:30 | Opening time is still the best time. By late April, warm afternoons send pandas indoors |
| Guilin and Yangshuo | The rains begin, the karst is at its greenest, and the Li River runs its full route | Keep a free day. Light rain suits the scenery, but heavy rain can suspend the cruise |
| Zhangjiajie | Showers and mist; spring holiday weekends are busy | Book park entry and Tianmen cable car slots several days ahead, and allow a weather day |
April dates to plan around
| Date | Event | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 5 April 2027 (Monday) | Qingming Festival (Tomb-Sweeping Day) | A three-day public holiday is likely, but the exact 2027 break is not yet announced. Expect heavy road traffic and family travel |
| 13–15 April | Water-Splashing Festival, Xishuangbanna | Jinghong hotels sell out; book early |
| 15 April – 5 May (usual pattern) | Spring Canton Fair, Guangzhou | Pazhou-area hotels several times their normal price; 2027 phase dates not yet announced |
| 16–18 April 2027 | Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai | Jiading and Anting hotels peak; central Shanghai is less affected |
| 17 April 2027 | Formula E Sanya E-Prix | A busy weekend in Sanya's Haitang Bay area |
| April (1–30 in 2026) | Luoyang Peony Culture Festival | Weekends and Qingming are the busiest days in the gardens |
For business visitors, the Canton Fair visitor guide explains phases and badges. For the full year's confirmed dates, see the 2027 festivals and events calendar.
Seasonal hours, closures and prices
- Jiuzhaigou: Peak season starts on 1 April, with ¥190 admission plus the ¥90 bus and a daily cap of 41,000. Book through the official mini-program.
- Suzhou gardens: Several classical gardens switch to peak admission in mid-April.
- Huangshan: Peak admission (¥190) applies, and the steep Tiandu Peak branch needs its own reservation when it is open. It reopened on 7 April in 2026.
- Changbai Mountain: The south slope opens only for summer, from about June.
Booking and practical advice
- Keep the Qingming weekend still. Use it for a single base rather than an intercity move.
- Watch for the Labor Day rush. Rail tickets for 1 May go on sale in mid-April (15 days ahead). If your trip runs into early May, those are the hardest tickets of the spring.
- Book peony and tea days for weekdays. Luoyang's gardens and Hangzhou's tea villages are packed on weekends.
- Allow for allergies. Bring antihistamines and sunglasses if you react to pollen or tree fluff in late April.
- Expect rain in the south. Pack a compact umbrella for Guangzhou, Guilin and Hangzhou.
Two April routes
Ten days of classic China: Beijing 4 nights → Luoyang 2 (peonies and Longmen) → Xi'an 4, all by high-speed rail. Time Luoyang for 7–15 April for peak bloom.
Nine days of gardens and tea: Shanghai 2 nights → Suzhou 2 → Hangzhou 3 → Huangshan 2, avoiding Shanghai on the F1 weekend unless you are going to the race.