China in September
September may be the most underrated travel month in China. Children are back at school from 1 September, the summer heat breaks in the north, and the first autumn color reaches the high forests of Xinjiang and western Sichuan. Beijing begins its finest weather of the year, and the hotels that were full in August have rooms again.
Two dates shape the month. Mid-Autumn Festival fell on 25 September in 2026 and falls on 15 September in 2027. Then comes National Day Golden Week, which starts on 1 October. Its rush begins in the second half of September, as rail tickets for 1 October go on sale.
September weather by city
| City | Avg high | Avg low | Rain | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beijing | 27 °C (80 °F) | 16 °C (61 °F) | 53 mm | 8 |
| Xi'an | 25 °C (78 °F) | 16 °C (60 °F) | 117 mm | 12 |
| Shanghai | 29 °C (84 °F) | 22 °C (72 °F) | 132 mm | 10 |
| Chengdu | 26 °C (79 °F) | 19 °C (67 °F) | 116 mm | 15 |
| Guangzhou | 32 °C (90 °F) | 24 °C (76 °F) | 203 mm | 12 |
| Kunming | 24 °C (74 °F) | 16 °C (60 °F) | 119 mm | 14 |
| Harbin | 22 °C (71 °F) | 10 °C (50 °F) | 52 mm | 9 |
| Lhasa | 21 °C (70 °F) | 9 °C (49 °F) | 65 mm | 14 |
- Beijing: 27 °C days and 16 °C nights, with rain falling away through the month. Late September marks the start of Beijing's best season.
- Xi'an: September is its rainiest month, with 117 mm of rain and 12 wet days, usually as long, soft autumn rain (秋雨). Keep an indoor museum day.
- Shanghai and Hangzhou: Warm at 29 °C, with typhoons still possible in the first half of the month.
- Guangzhou: Still summer at 32 °C, with less rain than June.
- Chengdu: 26 °C, often cloudy, with plenty of night rain.
- Kunming: The rainy season fades in late September.
- Lhasa: Fourteen wet days, but the monsoon ends during the month and October is clear.
- Harbin: Fresh at 22 °C, with the first autumn color in late September.
Where to go in September
Kanas and Hemu: the peak of Xinjiang's autumn
In the Altai, birch and larch around Kanas Lake and Hemu village turn gold from about mid- to late September. Early morning mist on the lake is the classic image. Late September is the busiest time at Kanas, and cold nights arrive quickly. Book the park's lodgings early and pack a down jacket. The Altay, Kanas and Hemu route has the logistics.
Western Sichuan: Siguniang and the plateau roads
From late September into October, the valleys below Mount Siguniang in Aba, and the grasslands around Tagong and Xinduqiao, combine golden larch, snow peaks and blue skies after the monsoon. It is only a day's drive from Chengdu, but the high passes are over 4,000 m. Acclimatize, and keep an eye on road conditions after rain.
Photo: Kogo · Source · CC BY-SA 3.0 DE
Beijing: the start of the golden weeks
Late September in Beijing is clear, dry and warm, ideal for a long Great Wall walk. Visit before 1 October, when National Day crowds and holiday controls around Tiananmen Square arrive.
Hangzhou: osmanthus and the tidal bore
Hangzhou is scented with osmanthus (桂花) from mid-September, especially in the Manjuelong (满觉陇) valley above West Lake. It is also the season of the Qiantang River tidal bore, which is strongest around the 18th day of the eighth lunar month: 28 September in 2026 and 18 September in 2027. The classic viewing point is Yanguan in Haining, about an hour from Hangzhou. Arrive at least an hour before the predicted tide time, and stay behind the barriers, because surges can top the embankment.
Hulunbuir and Shangri-La: the early harvest
Hulunbuir's grassland turns gold and the birch forests yellow in mid-September, with cold nights. Shangri-La's highland barley harvest and drying racks fill the valleys as the rains clear.
In season in September
| What | Where | When | How to do it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hairy crab season opens | Yangcheng Lake, between Suzhou and Kunshan | The 2026 season opened on 28 September. The first catch is mostly females, whose roe is best in October | Lotus Island (莲花岛) needs a short boat ride (about ¥30 a person in 2026), and its lakeside crab houses fill on weekends, so phone ahead. The Meirentui lakeside road can be reached by car. Check for the official anti-counterfeit tag, and ask whether prices are per crab and weighed with or without the string |
| Osmanthus | Manjuelong valley, Hangzhou; Guilin, the "osmanthus forest" city | Mid-September to early October | Try osmanthus cake and sweet osmanthus lotus root in the teahouses |
| Mooncakes | Everywhere | Before the Mid-Autumn Festival (15 September 2027) | Suzhou-style flaky mooncakes filled with fresh pork are sold hot from bakery windows. Cantonese lotus-paste mooncakes are the gift box standard |
| The end of the grape harvest | Turpan | Early September | See August |
The classic route in September
| Stop | September conditions | What to change |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing and the Great Wall | Schools are back from 1 September, and the year's best weather begins | Do Beijing this month rather than in early October, and finish by 30 September |
| Xi'an | The rainiest month, with long, soft autumn rain | Plan a museum day you can move to a wet date |
| Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou | Still 29 °C, with typhoon risk in the first half and osmanthus from mid-month | Add Yangcheng Lake for crab if you are there after the season opens |
| Chengdu pandas | Warm until late September; entry from 07:30 | Arrive at opening. Cooler late-September mornings bring longer active spells |
| Guilin and Yangshuo | Drier and clearer, with osmanthus in town | Longji's rice is still turning, so wait until mid-October for full gold |
| Zhangjiajie | Autumn's clearer weather begins, before the Golden Week surge | One of the best months for clear views of the pillars |
September dates to plan around
| Date | Event | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 September | Schools reopen | Family travel drops sharply; a value window opens |
| 15 Sept 2027 (25 Sept in 2026) | Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) | A public holiday, likely three days; the 2027 break is not announced yet. Mooncakes, lantern walks and family dinners; waterfronts busy at night |
| 18 Sept 2027 (28 Sept in 2026) | Peak Qiantang tidal bore (lunar 8th month, 18th day) | Haining viewing areas very crowded; nearby days still have strong tides |
| About 16–17 September | Train tickets for 1 October go on sale (15 days ahead) | Book Golden Week trains on release day if you must travel |
| Mid-September to early October | Shanghai Tourism Festival, in recent years | Parades and discounted entries; check the current program |
Because Mid-Autumn falls in mid-September in 2027, the holiday will be separate from National Day. In 2026, by contrast, Mid-Autumn fell on 25 September, just before Golden Week. Watch the public holidays page for the official 2027 arrangement in November.
Booking and practical advice
- Be cautious about entering October. If your trip runs into the first week of October, try to be in one base by 30 September and avoid intercity travel on 1–3 October.
- Book the autumn color early. Kanas lodging and Siguniang guesthouses sell out for late September weekends.
- Hedge against typhoons. Early-September coastal days (Xiamen, Hong Kong, Zhoushan) still need flexible bookings.
- Prepare for altitude. Western Sichuan's color drives cross 4,000 m passes, and Kanas nights drop toward freezing by the end of the month.
- Be ready for Mid-Autumn evenings. Lakes and riverfronts fill with families after dinner. Stay near a metro line and leave before the last train.
Two September routes
Twelve days, Xinjiang's autumn: Urumqi 1 night → Kanas 2 → Hemu 2 → Burqin 1 → Yining 4 → Urumqi 1, with the Kanas nights in 15–25 September for peak color.
Ten days of the classic first trip, before the holiday: Beijing 4 nights → Xi'an 3 → Shanghai 3, finishing by 30 September. See the China first-trip 10-day itinerary. Keep a museum-heavy day in Xi'an for its autumn rain.
See the China autumn foliage guide for how color moves south through October and November.