Visiting China in March

China is starting to warm up for spring, with blossom starting to appear on trees in the countryside. As the weeks go on, the temperatures begin creeping slowly towards 20C in Beijing and Shanghai, although it’s wetter in the east than in the north. It’s still a little cool to visit somewhere like Suzhou this month, but it’s a lovely time of year to explore Xi’an with pleasant temperatures for wandering through the historic streets and flowers blooming, but without the crowds which appear later in the year. Or further west, you can spot pandas in Chengdu and enjoy the teahouse culture of this corner of Sichuan.

Early spring is also a great time for a holiday in China’s south, including the cities south of the Yangtze, although Yunnan in the south-west can still be a little cool. Instead, head towards Guilin and Yangshuo, where you can enjoy the fabulous fairytale karst scenery as you float down the river on a bamboo raft or cycle between the peaks. Or head into the rice terraces known as the dragon’s backbone; in some places, golden flowers will be blooming, while at Ping’an, the terraces are flooded with water, looking like mirrors on the hillsides.

While Hong Kong is warmer this month too and relatively dry, it’s one of the cloudiest months of the year so not an ideal time to enjoy the views from Victoria Peak.

Best for: Cities without the crowds, rice terraces, scenery in Yangshuo, pandas in Chengdu