Climate: the clinching factor in choosing a city?

[fenlan]

I decided I wanted to live in a Chinese city that had weather always between 10 and 25 degrees Celsius. Even colder cities in the north tend to have warmer summers. I think Kunming is the only place that fits this description. Climate figures for major cities are at http://www.travelchinaguide.com/climate/index.htm

[Xiao Kui]

Climate isn't the only factor, but since Kunming has so much to offer besides its climate (it's beautiful and still cheap for Chinese class tuition, food and housing just for starters) I think you've made a great choice. This shows how temperate it really is:

http://www.weather.com/activities/travel/businesstraveler/weather/climo-monthly-graph.html?locid=CHXX0076&from=search

[fenlan]

But Xiao Kui, after finishing my course, the only jobs for foreigners in Kunming are English teaching, right? I am thinking that I might need to gravitate back towards Beijing eventually.

[fuxing]

for climate, you cant beat Da Lian or Qing Dao. Nice warm summers...not too oppressive, and crispy cool winters with snow. Not really so cold to anyone from Europe/North America. Kun Ming is nice, but pretty much the same all year.

[fenlan]

Yes, I have thought of Dalian too. What temperature does that get up to in the summer? If it's more than 25 degrees, I'm not interested...

[chenpv]

fenlan, Kunming might be the only city in china with a climate similar to England. Since you are paying for your trip, you deserve a place more proper to you in every aspect. , i believe Yunan University has some good programmes, in which you will also meet a lot of people from minorities and have a chance to know their cultures. There are also some nice resorts around Kunming, like Dali, lijiang, Yading,Chengjiang...Cities near the sea are all nice to live in, but maybe 'too modern or too tacky' for you. .

[Yang Rui]

I agree that climate is really important in choosing where to go. But temperature isn't all you have to watch out for. Looking at the charts on Fenlan's link, Taipei doesn't seem too bad - an average of about 30/31 in the summer. But what it fails to mention is that it is that temperature EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR WEEKS AND WEEKS and is incredibly humid. I spent last summer in Taiwan and although I loved the place, I think the hot weather really spoilt it for me. I'm English and i like a bit of unpredictability in the weather. It's ok if it's hot, but it's nice if it changes every few days. Is there anywhere in China like this? I'm considering moving back there next year, and i don't really care how cold it gets, as long as the summer's not too humid and long.

[chenpv]

Yang Rui, it seems that Dalian Tianjin or some cities in Shandong Province might be suitable for you.

[wushijiao]

I'm from Colorado in the US. In Colorado, the weather changes constantly, but it is usually sunny and with no humidity.

The weather in Shanghai, for me at least, is fairly horrible. It's hot and humid in the summer, which I complain about constantly. In the winter, the problem isn't that it's that cold, but rather that the city isn't heated. Thus, the winters in Shanghai seem colder than up in Beijing. In any case, I love winter, so that's not a problem, but I do have to listen to everyone I know bitch about the freezing cold while wearing five layers of clothing.

So I guess moving to Kunming isn't a bad idea!