10 Best Cool Places to Go in the Summer in China 2023

Huitengxile Grassland

Hohhot Grassland

Daadam Fair in Inner Mongolia

Xilamuren Grassland

• Type: Grassland, Mongolian ethnic places, nature
• Best Places to Visit There: Hulunbuir Grassland, Xilamuren Grassland and Gegentala Grassland, Huitengxile Grassland, Inner Mongolia Museum, Dazhao Temple
• Recommended Trip Length:  4-10 days;

Though almost places in China is covered in luxurious green, Hulunbuir and Hohhot in Inner Mongolia with seasonal verdant grassland spreading the land is quite cool and pleasant to be the real ideal summer heat escape resort, which has the average temperature of only 22°C in July, the hottest month. Thus, you will totally forget the summer high temperature in the city, but immerse into the endless glossy and emerald prairie with horses, flocks and herds grazing and sun bathing in leisure. With the seasonal colorful wild flowers dancing happily in the breeze and white clouds wander above, local local people are enjoying their relaxing horse riding on their idyllic and free wonderland wonderland in Hohhot and Hulunbuir! What a beautiful dream place, which you deserve to visit not only this summer in 2023! Besides the charming scenery, the grand Naadam Fair held at Hulunbuir Grassland, Huitengxile Grassland, Xilamuren Grassland and Gegentala Grassland from middle July to August every year is the best event to see the strength, talent, braveness and artistic charm of Mongolian ethnic boys and girls living in Inner Mongolia!

▶ Learn more about: Inner Mongolia Travel Guide | How to Plan a Inner Mongolia Tour

Huangguoshu Waterfall in Anshun, Guizhou

Red Clouds Golden Summit at Fanjingshan

Miao Ethnic Girls in Kaili

Biasha Miao Village in Chongjiang, Guizhou

• Type: mountains, waterfalls, ethnic minority villages, etc.
• Best Places to Visit There: Huangguoshu Waterfall, Fanjingshan, Miao and Dong ethnic minority villages, Qingyan Old Town, Xiaoqikong Scenic Area
• Recommended Trip Length:  2-7 days
• Tips for Traveling:  prepare comfortable shoes, light coat and rain gear for lower temperature in early morning and night hours and sometimes rains. Mosquito repellent suggested;

With an average temperature around 15°C in most areas, Guizhou is the veritable cool summer resort! For most domestic people, the Huangguoshu Waterfall with a great reputation nationwide is the first place they would think of to visit for a summer cool down in Guizhou. However and besides, Guiyang, its prosperous capital is quite distinct with dense forest coverage and comfortable temperature and attracts travelers to cool their body and impatience at the parks, mountains, ponds, rivers, ancient towns within or surrounding the city. That is a more precious enjoyment hard to get in other modern cities. Furthermore, as the “Mountain Province”, Guizhou is globally renowned with its strange and awesome Fanjingshan, where you are also highly recommended to have a visit at leave once to see the particular cool soaring peaks and feel the peaceful Buddhist culture cradled on such an old land from the ocean hundreds of millennium of years ago! And if you are interested in Chinese culture, the divers Guizhou as the Kingdom of ethnic minorities offers you a great opportunity to get close to the authentic life of local Miao, Dong, Buyi, Yao, and other 17 ethnic minority groups!

▶ Learn more about: Guizhou Travel Guide | How to Plan a Guizhou Tour

Jiuzhai Valley in Summer

Jiuzhai Valley in Summer

Jiuzhai Valley in Summer

Huanglong National Park

• Type: Valleys, Mountains, Forests, Geopark, Lakes, Waterfalls
• Recommended Trip Length:  2-3 days;

The best water landscape of Jiuzhai Valley in China is not only ideal in Autumn, but also another top recommended cool vacation in summer! The average temperature is around 20°C in Jiuzhaigou in summer, when is the best time to soak in the sea of various green, emerald, blue and sapphire splendors of verdant and cool Jiuzhaigou. The multiple appealing lakes and ponds seems large and small blue and cyan diamonds, jades, gemstones, etc. with the shimmering clear water mirroring the surrounding forests, snow-capped mountains and blue sky. If there are most mists suspending circling the peaks, Jiuzhaigou quickly changes into a shy fairy lady for your fond deeply! Moreover, people visiting Jiuzhai Valley are really lucky, since the waterfalls will have their highest flow of the year and you will admire the most beautiful sightseeing of those waterfall in this wonderland, like strings of pearls, pieces of silk clothes, bunches of silver belts, etc. You shall not miss the nearby best combo - Huanglong National Park, which is particularly fabulous with the abundant sunshine casting on its layers of emerald ponds and jade belts for visual and mind peace!

▶ Learn more about: Jiuzhai Valley Travel Guide | How to Plan a Jiuzhaigou Trip

Mount Emei Golden Summit

Wild Monkeys at Mount Emei

• Type: Mountain, Buddhist Site, UNESCO World Natural & Cultural Heritage, Hiking
• Recommended Trip Length:  1-2 days;

Spending a cool and slow summer vacation on a pleasant mountain is popular for travelers, and Mount Emei or Emeishan near Chengdu in Sichuan is the best recommendation, which has an average temperature of 20°C in the daytime and 7°C at night in summer months. In this one of the Four Great Buddhist Mountains in China, be released from the urban stress and insufferable and be calmed down with those Buddhist monks by the influential and spiritual Buddhist culture in the morning chant among tens of ancient temple clusters. However, have a mountain hiking experience to challenge your physical level with the verdant and pleasant leafy forest and chanting streams and encounter the naughty monkey “robbers” along your way up! Stay some days and nights on the Emeishan to indulge in the low temperature, expect the fantastic sea of clouds, sunrise and sunset, listen to the song of summer rains and appreciate the romantic sparkling starry sky!

▶ Learn more about: Emeishan Travel Guide | How to Plan an Emeishan Tour

Potala Palace in Lhasa

Namtso Lake in Nagchu

• Type: Plateau, Mountains, Temples & Monasteries, Buddhist Sites, Lakes
• Best Places to Visit There: Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, The Everest, Shannan
• Recommended Trip Length:  3-11 days;
• Tips for Traveling: Sunglasses, Sun hat, Sunblock, Water, Oxygen device

Thinking of visiting the holy Tibet for a long time? Make it true in the best season in summer, when most snow melts and it gets pleasantly warmer for a bright natural view appreciation. It is so nice to wander along Barkhor Street to see devout pilgrims praying along their circling around the Johkang Temple in sunshine after admiring in the cool Potala Palace in Lhasa. A glorious sunset or sunrise with that palace would be one of the best present during your Tibet discovery! Also, summer is the best time to catch the most alluring bright blue spectacle of Namtso Lake with the surrounding fluttering payer flags, soaring peaks and floating clouds. Besides, paying holy visits to various representative and ancient temples and joining in local grand festivals like Shoton Festival in July or August, Nagchu Horse Racing Festival, etc. in a summer Tibet trip will help you escape from the summer heat successfully and comfort your mind with the belief culture of Tibetan people! In such an advantageous high land, do not miss the fine night sky with twinkling stars! However, temperatures drop sharply from day to night, remember your warm clothes like thick jackets, down jackets, hats, gloves, etc.!

Stone Forest in Kunming

Lijiang Old Town

• Type: Cities, Old Towns, Lakes, Mountains, Geoparks, Photography, Ethnic Minority Cultural Sites, Historical Sites
• Best Places to Visit There: Kunming, Lijiang, Dali, Lugu Lake, Shangri-La
• Recommended Trip Length:  3-8 days;

The pleasant and colorful Yunnan should be listed in the best cool summer vacations in China, where boasts the comfortable Kunming pleasantly like spring all year round, Lijiang and Dali cosy and wonderful with old city culture, Shangri-La with early spring colors in summer months. No mater how many days you will stay there and what types of your travel group there will be, Yunnan with colorful and wonderful types of sceneries will let you remember this summer trip in its extraordinary world. The provincial capital Kunming with abundant sunshine may need you put on your long-sleeve shirts or even coats to suite the medium temperature while admiring the leisure emerald city lakes and famous Stone Forest karst maze. Dali with shimmering sapphire Erhai Lake and verdant Cangshan Mountain attracts many visitors to spend their leisure vacations. While Lijiang with also leisure old city can get you cooler down with higher altitude and the snow capped Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, peaceful Black Dragon Pond and the verdant and cool Lugu Lake. However, if you are interested in finding a more tranquil resort, Shangri-La as the “Pure Land” and with spring weather in summer months is your best choice to spend different slower time on the luxurious grassland. Just treat your eyes with the happily grazing cattle and horses, colorful fresh blossoms spreading the meadows, emerald forest backgrounds, azure sky and fluffy clouds! Throw the sweltering urban life as far away as possible!

▶ Learn more about: Yunnan Travel Guide | How to Plan a Yunnan Tour

Qinghai Lake Rape Flowers

Chaka Salt Lake in Summer

• Type: Lakes, Mountains, Nature, Grassland, Photography, Religious Sites
• Best Places to Visit There: Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake, Taer Monastery
• Recommended Trip Length:  3-6 days;

Imagine a large open place like a city or province with a giant invisible air-conditioner. That where it feels the same in Qinghai in Northwest China in summer, when the temperature keeps between 10-20°C for the most comfortable cool in summer months! Not only the nice weather, Qinghai boasts the most charming sightseeing from June to August! Rape flowers at famous Qinghai Lake bloom to the best bright golden color becomes the best postcard of Qinghai and best contrast color to the blue sky and azure water. Besides, Chaka Salt Lake also comes to its most beautiful period with the clearest water reflecting the sky and clouds, which gives it the reputation as “Mirror of the Sky”! If fond nowhere to go in this summer, go to Qinghai to meet your idyllic summer resort with inspiration!

Huangshan Yellow Mountain in Summer

Hongcun Village in Huangshan

• Type: Mountain, UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, Hiking, Photography, Old Villages, Architectures
• Best Places to Visit There: Yellow Mountain, Hongcun Village, Xidi Village, Tunxi Old Street, Hu Kaiwen Ink Factory
• Recommended Trip Length:  3-4 days;

Yellow Mountain in Huangshan as the most beautiful and magnificent mountain in China is one of the top idyllic summer heat escaping getaway with the forest coverage everywhere through you hiking from the foot to the peak of the mountains. The comfortably cool temperature makes you stay away from any hot or sultriness. But the granite rockery peaks with bright green twisted pines and other old trees soothe your eyes and mind best without any difficult. And after summer rains, the lingering mists in the air and rolling sea of clouds are the quite unforgettable of the nature charm of Mount. Huang. No matter you encounter the splendid sunset, appealing sunrise, etc., your experience at Yellow Mountain will let you love nature and hiking deeper! However, besides get away from the earthliness to the peaks, you can also spend some leisure and cultural time and savor the artistic architectural designs at Huangshan local picturesque old villages with slow life, including Hongcun, Xidi, and so forth!

▶ Learn more about: Huangshan Travel Guide | How to Plan a Huangshan Tour

Tianmen Mountain Glass Bridge Walking

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Avatar Hallelujah Mountain at Yuanjiajie

Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge at Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon

• Type: Mountain, National Geopark, Valley, Hiking
• Best Places to Visit There: Tianzi Mountain, Yuanjiajie, Huangshi Village, Golden Whip Stream, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon (Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge), Tianmen Mountain, etc.
• Recommended Trip Length:  3-5 days;

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park and the whole Wulingyuan Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie, Hunan is another cool and refreshing world in the afflictive hot cites in China during summer months. Pack your luggage to escape to the embrace of cool Wulingyuan in Zhangjiajie. With pleasant temperature and rich rainfalls, it is a summer resort but also the “real” Avatar World with thousands of soaring pillar peaks decorated by emerald trees and forests. Have an eye spa in the emerald magic world. And after rain, appreciate the unbelievable scenery of the mists hiding the lower parts of those pillar peaks. Besides, this treasure outdoor world has more to get cool and fun, such as hiking along the Golden Whip Stream, walking along the world hit Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge, more thrilling walkings and cable riding at Tianmen Mountain, wander at the cool and dazzling karst cave at Huanglong Cave, and so forth!

▶ Learn more about: How to Plan a Zhangjiajie Tour | Zhangjiajie Travel Guide

The Naked Castle near Moganshan

Refreshing Moganshan Resort in Zhejiang

• Type: Mountain, Lakes, Outdoor Activities, Adventure, Hiking, Resort, Historical Site, Architecture
• Recommended Trip Length:  1-3 days;

Moganshan or Mogan Mountain located in Huzhou, Zhejiang, near Shanghai and Hangzhou City is one of the favorite resort place for international travelers and expats in China. This mountain with a luxurious coverage of bamboos and leafy forests provides a cool, pleasant and moist vacation environment in from spring to autumn, particular verdant in summer. You will fulfill your eyes with the endless green rolling from mountains near to far, listen to the nice light music of the ravines and streams, hear songs of the birds in the forests, appreciate the diverse colors and types of flowers, have some simple or challenging hiking on the mountain paths, etc. to embrace the real nice nature of the appealing Moganshan. Also, the hundreds of historical international villas, churches, mansions, etc. left from nineteenth to twentieth century is a nice savory during your visual satisfactory! And many of them are refurbished into boutique hotels and resorts for your closer to and get released in the relaxing green!