March in Hangzhou means one thing before all else. The first leaves of Longjing, China's most celebrated green tea, come off the hillside bushes above West Lake around mid-March. The race to harvest before Qingming (typically April 4 or 5) sets the rhythm of the month. Pre-Qingming leaves, called mingqian, can fetch several thousand yuan per jin at farms in Longjing Village and Meijiawu. If tea culture matters to you at all, this is likely the single best time to be in Hangzhou.
The weather tends to be transitional and damp. Expect daytime highs around 18°C (65°F) and overnight lows near 8°C (47°F), with rain falling on roughly 13 of the month's 31 days. The rain is usually a light, persistent drizzle rather than heavy downpours, and it creates the silvery mist over West Lake that Song Dynasty painters spent careers trying to capture. Humidity sits at about 74%, which makes mornings feel cooler than the thermometer suggests. You'll want layers.
By late March, Taiziwan Park's tulip beds and cherry blossom avenues begin to open, drawing weekend crowds from Shanghai, Nanjing, and across the Yangtze Delta. Mind you, the full display typically peaks in April, so early-March visitors will find bare branches and closed buds. Hotel rates are moderate, sitting between winter's lows and the sharp spikes of the Qingming and May Day holidays. Worth noting, though, is that weekend availability near West Lake fills faster than you'd expect for a shoulder month.
Why visit in March
- Longjing tea first-picking season begins mid-March. You can buy fresh mingqian leaves directly from farmers in Longjing Village and Meijiawu, often within hours of hand-firing.
- West Lake in spring drizzle produces the classic misty landscapes that appear on Chinese ink paintings and postage stamps. March delivers more of these mornings than any other month.
- Shoulder-season pricing. Hotels in the Hubin Road and Nanshan Road areas typically run 20-30% below their April and October peaks.
- Comfortable walking temperatures. The 12-18°C midday range is close to ideal for the 10km loop around West Lake or the uphill trails to Lingyin Temple.
Worth knowing
- Rain on 13 of 31 days. The drizzle is rarely heavy, but consecutive overcast afternoons wear on outdoor plans and limit photography windows.
- Mornings at 8°C feel colder than they read, especially with 74% humidity. The damp chill gets into bones in a way that dry cold at the same temperature does not.
- Taiziwan Park's famous tulip and cherry blossom display doesn't fully open until late March or early April. Arriving in the first two weeks means missing the main spectacle.
- Air quality can dip in early spring when agricultural burning occurs across the broader Yangtze Delta region, though Hangzhou's hillside position partially shields the city.
Best for
Think twice if
March in Hangzhou is early spring, still shaking off winter's grip. The air carries a chill in the mornings that warms to a mild 18°C by early afternoon before cooling again after sunset. Rain arrives as a fine, persistent drizzle that locals call chunyu, rather than monsoon-style downpours. You might get 3-4 dry days in a row, then 3-4 damp ones. The 74% humidity means laundry dries slowly and the air feels heavier than the temperature alone would suggest. By the last week of March, afternoons start edging toward 20°C as the season turns noticeably.
Year-round climate
Averages from the last 5 years.
| Month | Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | 1 | 51 |
| Feb | 12 | 3 | 100 |
| Mar | 18 | 8 | 116 |
| Apr | 23 | 13 | 121 |
| May | 27 | 17 | 162 |
| Jun | 29 | 22 | 341 |
| Jul | 34 | 26 | 196 |
| Aug | 35 | 26 | 182 |
| Sep | 30 | 23 | 149 |
| Oct | 24 | 16 | 65 |
| Nov | 19 | 10 | 71 |
| Dec | 12 | 3 | 29 |
Headline events
Longjing Spring Tea First Picking Season
Mid-March through early April
The annual harvest of mingqian (pre-Qingming) Longjing tea begins in mid-March on the hillsides above West Lake. Longjing is China's most celebrated green tea, and the first leaves of the season command the highest prices and the most delicate flavor. Tea farms in Longjing Village and Meijiawu open to visitors for picking experiences, fresh tastings, and direct purchases. The window between mid-March and early April is the only time of year to buy genuinely fresh mingqian leaves at source.
Best things to do in March
Visit Longjing Village during the first tea picking
culturalWalk through the terraced Longjing tea fields above West Lake as the first harvest of the year begins. Farmers hand-pick the small, tender pre-Qingming buds and fire them in woks the same day. You can watch the hand-firing process, taste leaves that are hours old, and buy directly from producers. The village sits about 5km southwest of West Lake's south shore.
The mingqian picking window opens mid-March and closes around April 5. This is the only time of year to see and taste genuinely fresh first-flush Longjing at the source.Booking tipNo booking needed for the village itself, but if you want a guided picking experience at a specific farm, contact them a week ahead. Weekend mornings draw the largest crowds.
Walk the Su Causeway during peach blossom season
natureThe 2.8km Song Dynasty causeway crosses West Lake north to south, passing six arched bridges. Peach trees along both sides start blooming in mid-March, lining the path with pink and white flowers. The walk takes about 40 minutes without stops. On misty March mornings, the far shore disappears into grey, and the effect is striking.
Peach blossom season on the Su Causeway typically runs from mid-March through early April. The trees are bare in February and fully leafed out by May.Booking tipWalk it before 8am on weekends to avoid the heaviest foot traffic. The south entrance near Jingci Temple is usually less crowded than the north end.
Photograph West Lake in spring mist
photographyMarch's frequent light rain and 74% humidity produce the misty, layered lake views that define classical Hangzhou landscape imagery. The Broken Bridge at the north end of Bai Causeway and the Pinghu Qiuyue pavilion are two of the strongest compositions. Leifeng Pagoda across the water gains a soft silhouette in the haze that disappears by May.
March delivers more misty mornings over West Lake than any other month. The combination of warming temperatures, persistent drizzle, and high humidity creates conditions that October and November rarely match.Booking tipArrive at Broken Bridge by 6:30am for the best light and fewest people. The mist typically burns off by 10am on days when the sun breaks through.
Hike the Lingyin Temple forest trail
hikingThe trail from the Feilai Feng grotto entrance to Lingyin Temple passes carved Buddhist rock faces dating to the 10th century and winds through a canopy of camphor, maple, and ginkgo trees. In March, the forest floor shows the first spring growth, and the air carries the scent of damp earth and camphor leaves. The full hike including temple time takes 2-3 hours.
March temperatures of 12-18°C are comfortable for the uphill sections that become grueling in July and August at 34°C. Spring growth on the forest floor adds visual interest the winter months lack.Booking tipLingyin Temple charges a combined entry fee for the Feilai Feng grotto and the temple. Go after 15:00 when tour groups have departed.
Explore Xixi National Wetland Park by boat
natureTake a flat-bottomed boat through the 11.5 square kilometer wetland west of the city center. In March, the persimmon groves and reed beds turn from winter brown to spring green, and migratory birds are still present in good numbers before their April departure north. The boat route passes through traditional fishing villages and under stone bridges.
March is the overlap window when spring greenery has arrived but migratory species like grey herons and egrets have not yet departed. By May, the wetland gets uncomfortably hot and humid for the 2-hour boat route.Booking tipBook the electric boat route (about 60 minutes) rather than the shorter scenic loop to reach the quieter western sections. Weekday mornings see the fewest other boats.
Tea tasting at China National Tea Museum
culturalThe museum in the Longjing tea-growing district holds special spring-season tasting events in March when freshly processed mingqian leaves arrive from surrounding hillsides. The two campuses on Longjing Road and at Shuangfeng cover tea history, processing, and ceremony. The Longjing Road campus has a garden terrace where you can taste while looking out over the tea fields.
March's fresh-leaf tasting events use tea processed hours or days earlier. The rest of the year, tastings rely on stored leaves. The freshness difference is perceptible even to casual tea drinkers.Booking tipEntry to the museum is free. Spring tasting sessions sometimes require advance registration through the museum's WeChat account.
Cycle Beishan Road along the north shore of West Lake
outdoorThe 3km stretch of Beishan Road between Broken Bridge and Yuefei Temple runs directly along West Lake's north shore, passing Republican-era villas from the 1920s-1930s, lakeside willows, and small teahouses. Shared bikes from Hellobike or Meituan are available at docking stations every few hundred meters along the route.
March avoids both winter's biting lakeside wind and summer's oppressive heat. The willow trees along Beishan Road leaf out in mid-March, creating the iconic green curtain over the waterfront path.Visit Hangzhou Botanical Garden for late plum blossoms at Lingfeng
natureThe Lingfeng Tanmei area in the northwest corner of Hangzhou Botanical Garden holds over 5,000 plum trees across some 45 varieties. In early March, the last of the plum blossoms overlap with the first magnolia blooms. The scent of plum flowers on a damp March morning is sweet and surprisingly strong, carrying 10-15 meters from the trees.
Plum blossom season runs from late January through early March. The first two weeks of March catch the tail end, when late-blooming varieties like green-calyx and cinnabar plum are still open and the February crowds have thinned.Booking tipThe Botanical Garden charges a small entry fee. Lingfeng is a 10-minute walk from the main entrance. Early March mornings before 9am are nearly empty.
What to eat in March
On menus now
Pian'er Chuan (Hangzhou Noodle Soup)
Hangzhou's signature noodle dish hits its seasonal best in March when fresh spring bamboo shoots replace the preserved variety. The combination of hand-torn noodles, sliced pork, pickled mustard greens, and crisp young shoots in a clear broth carries a sweetness that the dried-shoot version cannot match.
Longjing Xia Ren (Dragon Well Shrimp)
River shrimp stir-fried with fresh Longjing tea leaves. This dish only appears on Hangzhou menus during the March-April tea season when the leaves are fresh enough to cook with. The shrimp turn jade-tinged, and the tea adds a nutty, vegetal note that dried leaves cannot replicate.
What to drink
Mingqian Longjing Cha (Pre-Qingming Dragon Well Tea)
The first tender leaves of the year, hand-picked before Qingming (April 4-5), produce the most prized Longjing tea. The flavor is lighter, sweeter, and more floral than later pickings. In March, restaurants across Hangzhou serve dishes cooked with fresh Longjing leaves, including Longjing Xia Ren (tea-fried river shrimp).
In markets
Chunsun (Spring Bamboo Shoots)
March is peak season for fresh bamboo shoots in Zhejiang. They appear across Hangzhou menus in stir-fries, soups, and the signature Pian'er Chuan noodles. The texture is tender and faintly sweet, nothing like canned bamboo shoots.
Xiangchun Ya (Toon Sprouts)
These pungent, reddish-green sprouts from the Chinese toon tree appear for a narrow 3-4 week window starting in early March. Scrambled with eggs (xiangchun chao dan) is the classic preparation. The flavor sits somewhere between garlic and onion with a cedar-like note.
Festival food
Qingtuan (Mugwort Green Rice Balls)
Soft, jade-green glutinous rice balls filled with sweet red bean paste. These are the traditional Qingming festival food, and bakeries along Hefang Street start selling them in mid-March as the holiday approaches. The mugwort gives them a distinctive herbal, grassy flavor.
Regular events in March
Taiziwan Park Tulip and Cherry Blossom Festival OpeningFree
Taiziwan Park's annual display of over 300,000 tulip bulbs and several hundred cherry blossom trees begins opening in the last week of March. The festival is one of Hangzhou's biggest spring attractions, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors through its full run into mid-April. Late March offers the first blooms with notably smaller crowds than the April peak.
Last week of March through mid-AprilLingfeng Tanmei Plum Blossom Viewing (Final Days)
The annual plum blossom season at Hangzhou Botanical Garden's Lingfeng area reaches its final days in early March. Late-blooming varieties like green-calyx plum and cinnabar plum extend the season a week or two past the February peak, often overlapping with the first magnolia blooms.
Early March (season ending)China National Tea Museum Spring Tea ExhibitionFree
The museum opens a spring-season exhibition coinciding with the start of the Longjing harvest, featuring demonstrations of traditional hand-firing techniques and comparative tastings of new-season leaves from different West Lake sub-origins including Longjing, Meijiawu, and Wengjishan.
Mid-March through AprilBest places this March
Longjing Village (龙井村)
cultural villageThe namesake village of China's most famous green tea sits in a narrow valley 5km southwest of West Lake. In March, the terraced fields above the village turn vivid green as new growth emerges. Tea farmers open their homes for tastings and direct sales during the first harvest. The village is small enough to walk end to end in 20 minutes.
LongjingMeijiawu Tea Village (梅家坞)
cultural villageA working tea village 3km west of Longjing Village, Meijiawu feels less polished and more lived-in. About 500 families here grow and process Longjing tea. In March, the village's narrow road fills with the smell of tea leaves being hand-fired in gas-heated woks. Fewer tour buses reach Meijiawu than Longjing Village, and prices for fresh leaves tend to run lower.
MeijiawuTaiziwan Park (太子湾公园)
parkA large public park at the southwest corner of West Lake. Late March brings the first tulip blooms across the park's landscaped beds, and early cherry blossoms begin opening along the central path. The park is free and stays open late. Visit on a weekday morning in the last week of March to see the opening flowers without the April weekend crowds.
Nanshan RoadSu Causeway (苏堤)
scenic walkThe 2.8km causeway built during the Song Dynasty crosses West Lake from north to south. Peach and willow trees alternate along its length, and the peach blossoms open in mid-March. Walking the full causeway on a misty morning, with Leifeng Pagoda appearing and disappearing in the haze, is one of the best free experiences in the city.
West LakeBroken Bridge (断桥)
landmarkThe arched stone bridge at the east end of Bai Causeway is one of West Lake's Ten Classic Scenes. March's frequent mist creates the conditions for the bridge's signature visual effect, where the far end seems to dissolve into the lake. The bridge is particularly photogenic at dawn and after light rain.
Beishan RoadHefang Street (河坊街)
historic streetThe restored Qing Dynasty commercial street in the Wushan district runs about 500 meters. The traditional pharmacy Huqingyu Tang, founded in 1874, anchors the east end. In March, street vendors sell seasonal qingtuan alongside the usual dried teas and silk goods. The street is most enjoyable before 10am on weekends, before the tour groups arrive.
QinghefangXixi National Wetland Park (西溪国家湿地公园)
nature reserveThe 11.5 square kilometer wetland reserve west of the city center transitions from winter brown to spring green in March. Boat routes pass through persimmon groves, traditional fishing hamlets, and under centuries-old stone bridges. Grey herons and egrets remain in the wetland through March before migrating north in April.
XixiChina National Tea Museum (中国茶叶博物馆)
museumLocated in the heart of the Longjing tea-growing district, the museum's Longjing Road campus includes outdoor tea gardens where spring tasting sessions use leaves from the surrounding hillsides. In March, the museum runs demonstrations of traditional Longjing hand-firing and comparative tastings of leaves from different sub-origins within the West Lake production area.
Longjing
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Insider tips
For the freshest mingqian Longjing, skip the polished shops in Longjing Village and head 3km further west to Meijiawu. The farmers there sell directly from their processing rooms, often within hours of firing. Prices tend to run lower than Longjing Village, and you can watch the hand-firing in real time.
The West Lake boat operators at Gushan Pier on the north shore offer better availability and a quieter ride than the heavily touristed east shore piers near Hubin Road. Request the route past Santanyinyue (Three Pools Mirroring the Moon) for the best photography angles.
Hefang Street fills with tour groups by mid-morning on weekends. Visit before 8am to see the traditional pharmacies and workshops without the crowds. Huqingyu Tang's interior courtyard, dating to 1874, is worth the early start alone.
Hangzhou's independent cafe scene along Nanshan Road and around the China Academy of Art has expanded rapidly. On rainy March afternoons, these cafes make better retreats than the chain shops near Hubin Road, and some serve fresh Longjing as a pour-over.
If you're buying tea and aren't a connoisseur, the China National Tea Museum shop on Longjing Road sells graded, standardized Longjing at fair prices. It removes the guesswork of negotiating at farms where quality claims are hard to verify.
Avoid these mistakes
- Arriving in the first week of March expecting Taiziwan Park's tulips and cherry blossoms to be in bloom. The display rarely opens before the final week of the month. Early-March visitors find dormant beds and bare branches. Check the Hangzhou Parks WeChat account for bloom updates before planning your visit day.
- Packing only light clothes because the daytime high reads 18°C. The 8°C mornings and 74% humidity create a damp chill that thin layers won't block. By 10am you're peeling layers off, but by 6pm you'll want them all back.
- Buying expensive 'mingqian Longjing' from street vendors or tourist-facing shops along Hefang Street without understanding the grading system. Much of what's sold as premium first-flush tea near West Lake is lower-grade or from outside the protected West Lake production zone. Buy from farms you visit in person or from the Tea Museum shop.
- Scheduling a full day of outdoor sightseeing without a weather backup plan. With 13 rainy days in March, you need 2-3 indoor alternatives ready. The China Silk Museum near West Lake, Zhejiang Provincial Museum on Gushan Island, and the Tea Museum circuit all work well on damp days.
Practical tips for March
Book Hangzhou East Station train tickets at least 3-5 days ahead for weekend travel on the Shanghai-Hangzhou High-Speed Railway. The 45-minute ride fills up on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Mobile payment (Alipay or WeChat Pay) is effectively required for daily transactions in Hangzhou, from restaurants to shared bikes. International visitors can set up Alipay with a foreign passport and credit card at the airport. Lingyin Temple closes its ticket office at 17:00, with last entry to the Feilai Feng grottoes at 16:30. The temple is quietest after 15:00 when organized tour groups depart. Hotels in the Hubin Road and Nanshan Road areas offer the best access to West Lake, while guesthouses in Longjing Village and Meijiawu put you inside tea country. March is shoulder season, so booking 1-2 weeks out for midweek stays is usually sufficient, though late-March weekends in the West Lake district fill faster as blossom season approaches. The Hangzhou Metro Line 1 connects Hangzhou East Station to the Fengqi Road and Longxiangqiao stations near the lake's east shore in about 25 minutes.
FAQ
Is March a good time to visit Hangzhou?
March is a good time, though not the best. The main draws are the start of Longjing tea picking season (mid-March onwards) and the early spring scenery around West Lake. The tradeoff is rain on about 13 of the month's 31 days and mornings that still feel wintry at 8°C (47°F). If the tea harvest doesn't interest you and you'd prefer warmer, drier weather, October (24°C, 65mm rain, 5 rainy days) and November (19°C, 71mm rain) are stronger months. That said, March's shoulder-season hotel prices and moderate crowds make it a solid value pick.
What is the weather like in Hangzhou in March?
Expect daytime highs around 18°C (65°F) and overnight lows near 8°C (47°F). Humidity averages 74%. Rain falls on roughly 13 days, mostly as a persistent light drizzle rather than heavy storms. Total March rainfall averages 116mm. The damp chill in the mornings makes the temperature feel several degrees cooler than the numbers suggest. Bring layers and waterproof outerwear. By late March, afternoon temperatures start edging toward 20°C as the season turns.
When does Longjing tea season start in Hangzhou?
The first Longjing picking typically begins around mid-March, though the exact start date varies by a week or two depending on winter temperatures and spring rainfall. The most prized leaves are harvested before Qingming (April 4-5). If buying fresh mingqian tea at source is your goal, aim for the last two weeks of March. By mid-April, the harvest has moved to second and third pickings, which command lower prices and carry a different, more robust flavor profile.
Is Hangzhou crowded in March?
Moderately. March sits between winter's quiet and the sharp uptick in domestic tourism that begins around Qingming in early April. West Lake's main promenade and Hefang Street see steady foot traffic on weekends, but nothing like the shoulder-to-shoulder conditions of Golden Week in October. Late March draws larger crowds to Taiziwan Park as word of the first blossoms spreads on social media. Weekday visits to any major site will feel noticeably calmer.
Should I visit Taiziwan Park in March or wait until April?
It depends on your timing within March. Before mid-March, the tulip beds and cherry trees are mostly dormant. The last week of March typically sees the first significant blooms, with crowds still manageable compared to the April peak when the park can draw tens of thousands per day. If your trip falls in the final 7-10 days of March, Taiziwan is worth visiting for the opening flowers and lighter foot traffic. If you arrive before March 20, you are likely too early for the display.
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