China
Beijing in December
❄️ Snowy winterCold and mostly dry. Watch for hazy air.
🎒 Pack: winter coat, gloves & hat · N95 mask for hazy days
Why December scores 6.4What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort6.7
- !Cold (4°C highs / -5°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point -11.3°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~3 mm rain)
- Air quality1.3
- !Unhealthy (PM2.5 ~118 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline7.5
- ·Increased caution
| Dec | May | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 6.4 Fair | 8.6 Excellent |
| Season | ❄️ Snowy winter | 🌷 Spring |
| High / low | 4° / -5° | 28° / 15° |
| Rain | 3 mm | 35 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt -11° | dew pt 5° |
| PM2.5 | 118 µg/m³ | 46 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Beijing weather-station normals. Rainfall: Beijing weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
No long holidaysNo long public-holiday weekends this month. School holidays aren't counted, so check those if you want to avoid family crowds.
No national public holidays in China this month.
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Nature calendarBlossoms, leaves & seasons in Beijing
- Snowy daysIn DecemberTypical datesSnow likely Nov–Mar (most in Jan: ~2 days)
Average number of days with snowfall at Beijing.
Source: Beijing weather-station normals (national weather service, via Wikipedia climate table)
Explore BeijingEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyChina's capital, home to the Forbidden City, imperial temples and gardens, old hutong lanes and nearby sections of the Great Wall.
No major events on our calendar for December.
Coming up later
Chinese New Year temple fairsDate variesLunar calendar — late January to mid-February, date moves each year
Traditional fairs with snacks, performances and folk crafts.
Why go: Many shops close for several days and transport is busy before the holiday.
Where: Ditan Park and other parks
National DayEvery year1 October every year
Marks the founding of the People's Republic, followed by a week-long national holiday.
Why go: Major sights are extremely crowded during the holiday week.
Where: Tiananmen Square and citywide
Autumn leavesDate variesUsually mid-October to early November
Smoke trees turn red on the hills west of the city.
Why go: Weekends are very crowded; go on a weekday.
Where: Fragrant Hills (Xiangshan)
Forbidden City (Palace Museum)
The vast imperial palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties.
💡 Tickets must be reserved in advance with your passport, and it is usually closed on Mondays.
Great Wall at Mutianyu
A restored, scenic section of the Great Wall about 1.5–2 hours from the city, with a cable car.
Temple of Heaven
A Ming-era temple complex in a large park where locals exercise in the morning.
Summer Palace
An imperial garden of lakes, pavilions and long covered walkways.
Shichahai hutongs
Old alley neighbourhoods around lakes, with courtyard houses and the Drum and Bell Towers.
Lama Temple (Yonghe Gong)
An active Tibetan Buddhist temple with a large carved sandalwood Buddha.
Peking duck
Roast duck with crisp skin, carved and wrapped in thin pancakes.
Zhajiangmian
Wheat noodles with fermented soybean and pork sauce.
Jianbing
A savoury crepe with egg and a crispy cracker, a common breakfast.
💡 Street stalls
Tanghulu
Hawthorn fruits coated in hard sugar on a stick.
💡 Street vendors and hutong snack streets
Shuan yangrou
Copper-pot mutton hotpot, a Beijing winter favourite.
Cloisonné
Enamel ware made with a technique long associated with Beijing.
💡 Specialist shops
Chinese tea
Teas from across China.
💡 Maliandao tea street
Silk
Silk scarves, fabrics and clothing.
💡 Markets and department stores