Beijing in March - too cold?
 

Hello!
We are two 27 year old girls from NYC, going to Hong Kong for a wedding on March 17th. Since we have 10 days in total, we're trying to decide which other city in China to visit. We both really want to experience Beijing, but from what we read March 10-15 should be freezing and winy. Is this in fact true? We are also considering Shanghai, but only because of warmer weather. From what we understand, there are some nice places to visit around Shanghai, but the city itself is just a modern metropolis with little to offer. Is this true? Has anyone been to Beijing in March? Is it worth going? Thanks in advance for your input!!

Look at all the cities you are considering on www.weatherbase.com

Note that to go from Hong Kong into other parts of China requires a visa (which must be arranged in advance). You do not need a visa for Hong Kong.

Thank you for the visa alert! Would have been unpleasant...

I've been in Beijing in early April and it was very cold and windy. Shouldn't be that much different from the weather in NYC that time of year.

I've been to both Beijing and Shanghai in March and believe it or not, there was not that much difference in temperature between the two cities. The weather did not stop us from doing everything on our itinerary, including walking the Great Wall at Mutianyu. Most days were pretty overcast, but not freezing. We wore winter jackets and occasionally pulled on hats and scarves. But many of our photos show us with jackets unzipped, when the sun peeped out.

Both destinations are fantastic, but as you noted, for completely different reasons. If I only had time to visit one, I would pick Beijing, because there are so many unique things to see there, that you cannot find anywhere else in the world...ie Great Wall, Summer Palace, Forbidden City, Tienenman Square, etc. Just take a bunch of layers, so you can be flexible in your dress and some very comfortable shoes.

Hi

My wife and I went to Beijing in March a couple of years back and here is our trip report http://gardkarlsen.com/china_beijing.htm . It was not too cold (as long as you have warm clothing :d ) but it was a bit on the cold side in the mornings and evenings. But we also had some lovely sunny days and the trip to the great wall was amazing.

regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Hi,its not very cold,the temperature is about 7,so dont worry it