Best 8 Places to Visit in July in China
July in China is a little hot, which means that the clear, sunny days in most parts of China are increasing. It is a good time to travel in this month, but the heat waves drive people to seek ways to escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. We recommend eight places to visit to beat the summer heat.
Table of Contents
What is the weather like in July
July is mid-summer, and due to China’s vast landscape, the weather is a little variable in the different regions and cities.
In northwestern China, the heat remains pleasant both during the day and the night. Rain is rare, and the sunny weather continues throughout July.
On the north and northeast coast, there are occasional rain showers, even becoming frequent. It is common to see some rain fall in a day that is otherwise sunny and warm.
In the center of China, the weather becomes rainy as the heat continues to progress. The summer monsoon beats in full during the month of July in the south of China. It is characterized by heat and humidity climbing and sweltering conditions along the Yangtze River.
Crowds
July is one of the hottest and busiest months for travelling, because of school summer vacations from July to August.
Where to Go and What to Do
Qinghai - Deep inland blue vast lake
Temperature: 10-25°C (50-77°F)
Qinghai occupies a vast landscape, which is larger than any country in Europe. Qinghai Lake is the largest salt lake in China. Enjoy visiting the lake in July, when the grassland is turning green and rape flowers are in bloom. You can see seagulls and black-necked cranes settling here and flying around the shores. You can also meet the nomadic herders with their sheep.
The traditional Yushu Horse Racing Festival starts on July 25, lasting for a week, and is held in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. This is a grand ceremony showcasing the horse racing, yak racing, wrestling, equestrianism, archery, shooting, and traditional customs, so visitors can watch the racing and also see the thousands of colorful tents, traditional Kham Tibetan costumes, and vivid minority dancing and singing.
Enshi Grand Valley – embrace nature and enjoy the fresh mountain air
Temperature: 24-33°C (75.5-91.4 °F)
Enshi is the Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in the southwest region of Hubei Province. Enshi City is neighbor to Wuhan and Chongqing, and is a famous summer resort. From April to August is a comfortable and cool season to visit.
Enshi Grand Canyon has sheer limestone cliffs and pristine mountains gouged out by glaciers during the Ice Age. It is 60 miles long and 4,500 feet deep. Here you can climb along the paved trails through the gorge to explore the canyon and discover unique stone formations: some of stone is shaped as a long slender pole, while some are the jagged serrated side walls of limestone cliffs, from the walkway. You can look at the lush green valley with the great differences of height, and the mountain waterfalls. You can also walk through the deep geo-fractures. Just relax and enjoy the breathtaking views.
Guizhou Libo County – Enjoy lush trees and colorful Minority Cultures
Temperature: 24-33°C (75.2-91.4 °F)
Libo County is in southern Guizhou Province and has been praised as the “Emerald of the Earth’s Belt”. As home to a concentration of minority peoples, Libo is also rich in ethnic customs and traditions.
The cool place hides out from the city; the main attractions here include the Maolan National Nature Reserve, and the Daqikong and Xiaoqikong Scenic Area. Maolan National Nature Reserve is a wonderful place for hiking and camping, as there are ethnic minority villages scattered around. In summer, rivers and lakes flow through the ‘Seven Small Arches’ dyed into emerald green. Visitors can admire the Karst landscape combined with primitive forest and arched bridges. Besides enjoying the amazing natural landscape, you can also visit minorities and experience their customs and taste the local delicacies.
Recommended Guizhou Tour Packages in July
Pingtan in Fuzhou – Dreamy island
Temperature: 28-32°C (82.4-89.6°F)
Go and see the glowing beaches of Pingtan, which is an island county in East China’s Fujian Province. In summer days, a rare phenomenon of “blue tears” can be observed. A wave of “blue tears” appears like stars scattered on the sea along the coastline. The beach seems dotted with blue spots at night. The beaches in Pingtan’s coastal areas seem like a mini-Milky Way.
This is caused by a type of “Luminous Algae” that leaves the seawater and can only survive for less than 100 seconds. The algal body is nearly spherical. When a great number of luminous seaweed accumulates, fluorescent blue waves lap the shore again and again, just like a dreamy fairy-tale world. The splendid scenery usually occurs in July and August. The coastline of Pingtan Island stretches more than 300 km, and the many bays are good spots to admire the natural wonder.
Apart from the “blue tears”, the clear blue sea, soft white sands, beautiful seaside sunrise and sunset are all worthy of a visit. Local food also can’t be missed. The seafood porridge, octopus with scallion oil, oyster omelet and fish wonton are unique Fujian flavors.
Yunnan – Enjoy the graceful sightseeing and leisure time
Temperature: about 16-24°C (60-75.2 °F)
In summer, even the temperature difference is not as great as in spring, you can also experience a 10-degree drop in a rainy day. Preparing by wearing long sleeves on the summer days is necessary. Although the rainy season starts in July, it won’t rain all day. It is the best time to enjoy the plateau scenery.
July is the best time to visit the Dongchuan Red Land. The wild and endless mountains show different colors at the right times. Boat on the blue Erhai Lake, hike a section of spectacular Tiger Leaping Gorge, wander in an ancient town to meet the Naxi people and explore a hidden paradise in Shangri-la.
Recommended Yunnan Tours
Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Temperature: 15 -30°C (59-86°F)
Located in the southwestern part of Gansu Province, Gannan is both a holy place for Tibetan Buddhism and a paradise for hikers. Gannan Prefecture not only shows splendid plateau scenery, but also perfectly preserves Tibetan Buddhist culture. The important and pleasant point is that visitors don’t need to worry about altitude sickness.
Gannan is the region gathering a lot of ethnic minorities, which presents a deeply religious atmosphere. To visit Labrang Monastery, the largest Tibetan religious center of the Gansu, you will meet the local people with their colorful clothes. There are vast areas of desert, areas of open grassland, and capped-snow mountains. Due to the diversity of the natural scenery and architecture, Gannan is often referred to as “the nine-colored land”.
Hangzhou – Appreciate Lotus Flowers
Temperature: 25-33°C (77-91.4 °F)
Hangzhou has a long history of appreciating the lotus. West Lake is the best place in the city, and attracts many visitors. July is the time of the most beautiful season for the lotus on West Lake. There are colorful lotuses in different types on the extensive lake. In the summer breeze, the pink, white, red and twin-flower lotuses are in bloom, with the old bridge and ancient pavilions as the backdrop, which make for graceful and delightful scenery.
The West Lake Lotus Flower Festival is held at Quyuanfenghe in Hangzhou every July-August. A variety of activities include admiring lotus flowers, peeling lotus seeds, cooking lotus meals, listening to folk opera, and putting lotus lanterns on the water for blessing.
Recommended Hangzhou Tour Packages
Xinjiang – Heavenly landscape
Temperature: 21-31°C (69.8-87.8°F)
Xinjiang is the largest province in China and an important part of the Silk Road in China. The various nationalities feature customs of singing and dancing.
Make your way towards Xinjiang in July, and you will see the fairyland of Kanas Lake, the magnificent Narati grassland, and plains carpeted with wild flowers and the flocks of sheep and herds of cows. So enjoy the wide river valleys, and spend a night in a Kazakh camp. The summer in July is a wonderful time to appreciate lavender fields and rapeseed so that it has been called the “eastern Switzerland”, and to taste local fruits, such as Hami melon, purple grapes, and juicy pomegranate. This is a paradise for shutterbugs and foodies.
Recommended Xinjiang Tour Packages in July
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