Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Icy Beijing winters require complete covering up.
Hands down, fall is the best season. Winds are minimal, temperatures feel luxurious, and
the autumn colors that paint the city are stunning. At this time hordes of locals head out to
Xiang Shan (Fragrant Hill) in the city's far northwest to see the red leaves on the mountains.
A well-timed walk along Dongzhimenwai Dajie, close to Sanlitun, however, will leave you
with photos of a street densely lined with brilliant golden leaves.
Beijing's average rainfall is 630 millimeters (25 inches), with most of this occurring in
July and August. The downfalls are usually fairly short-lived and rarely interrupt your plans
for the day, and other than the disappearing trick the rain seems to play on the taxis, it's
usually a welcome way to freshen up the stuffy, polluted air. Winter is much drier, and there
may be no more than two to four snowfalls, and seldom anything worth getting your skis
out for.
Flora
If humanity had not stamped a big heavy footprint on Beijing, the city would today sit in
the midst of a deciduous, broad-leafed forest. Unfortunately, the foliage—both type and
quantity—that covers the land here today is very different from how it once was. Over the
