Погода: Pingyao, март

Regulars recommend March for Hangzhou on two grounds: moderate weather and noticeably fewer large tour groups than the peak, with the early-spring blossom already out around West Lake. Their warning is that April is the rainy season, so come before it - which our row only half supports, because March itself already carries 106.6mm across 13.3 precipitation days under 6.2 hours of sun a day. Take the advice as comparative rather than absolute. What makes it bearable is the destination: several regulars describe a small boat on West Lake in light rain as the best version of it, the hills reduced to a Chinese ink painting and the crowds gone home. Our row gives 18.7C days over 7.9C nights, cool enough for a jacket. The record: humidity 75 percent and AQI 130.

China forum threads describe April as one of the generally recommended shoulder-season months nationwide, though for northern cities like Pingyao specifically, autumn tends to get singled out as the most comfortable stretch of the year - April is milder still, with real days in the low 20s C and nights cool but well above freezing, more sweater weather than a hard chill. One thing that doesn't come up much in the forums but is worth knowing: this part of northern China can see noticeably elevated air quality readings in spring from dust and haze, so it's not always the crystal-clear blue-sky days the photos suggest.

Forum posters call autumn the most comfortable season for northern Chinese cities generally, with October and November named among the best months - one visitor's early-October trip reported great weather with only a few drizzly days and good fall color. The one scheduling wrinkle: China's National Day Golden Week (October 1-7) brings heavy domestic travel and crowds right around the same dates, so posters recommend avoiding the day or two immediately before and after that window if crowds are a concern - outside of it, October actually sees fewer visitors than the summer student/worker travel season. For Pingyao itself, posters consistently recommend staying overnight inside the walled ancient city to see its lantern-lit streets after the day-trip crowds clear out.