Weather in Shanghai at Christmas

Hi there,

For those who’ve experienced it, what’s the weather like in Shanghai at the end of December? I’ve heard it’s cold, but coming from France, is the winter milder than in Lyon, for example?

I’m tempted to spend the Christmas holidays in Shanghai and the surrounding areas (Nanjing, Suzhou) with my family—kids are 11 and 2. It’d be a bummer if the little one catches a cold over there.

Generally, is this a good time for simple family visits to the main spots, restaurants in the city, indoor heating, and outdoor walks?

Hi there, We spent Christmas and New Year’s in Shanghai last December. It was really windy and cold—even freezing at times. Without the wind, it’s okay. There was a bit of rain, but nothing more. We stayed 4 days in Suzhou, which we loved. I’d recommend checking out Tongli town—it’s touristy, but you get to experience old China. And if you have time, Hangzhou is definitely worth the detour.

Hi, thanks for the feedback and info. Did you have any sunshine, or was the sky overcast most of the time?

You read all sorts of things, but I’m still wondering about heating. I’ve read that buildings, houses (restaurants, hotels, etc.) generally aren’t well heated and don’t have heating systems like the ones in Europe—is that true?

If we go, I’m planning to spend two weeks total, split evenly between Nanjing, Suzhou, and Shanghai. I’ll keep Tongli town in mind.

I don’t think I’ll have time for Hangzhou since I’m planning to see Chinese friends in Shanghai and Nanjing. Suzhou would be the only place I’d visit solo.

Hi, We didn’t have any heating issues in the hotels—we could set the temperature ourselves. They’re reverse-cycle AC units. As for sunshine, yeah, it was mostly clear but chilly. Hangzhou will have to wait for next time. We’re heading back to China on the 28th for more adventures.