Cool destinations are hot favorites as travelers escape the heat

HOHHOT — As passengers disembarked from their two-hour flight from Beijing to Manzhouli, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, they were greeted by a refreshing breeze from the Hulunbuir Grassland that made many give a loud wow. The city in northeastern Inner Mongolia, which borders Russia, is about 10 degrees Celsius cooler than the capital.

"It feels so comfortable here," says a woman surnamed Liu, breathing in Manzhouli's fresh, cool evening air as she started a weeklong trip with her family in Inner Mongolia, a region known for its vast grasslands and forests.

Liu is part of a growing wave of "heat-escaping tourists" — urban dwellers seeking temporary relief from the hot climate in the country's sweltering cities.

Following the hottest June on record, much of China has entered July under unrelenting heat. Provinces like Shaanxi, Sichuan, Henan, and Hubei have seen temperatures soar past 40 C. In cities such as Northwest China's Xi'an, Shaanxi province, and Central China's Wuhan, Hubei province, even nighttime low temperatures hovered near 30 C, making the heat an around-the-clock challenge.

In response, many are opting to travel north and west in search of a cooler climate, fueling a sharp increase in demand for "heat-escaping travel".

According to Tianjin Airlines, flights from China's southern and central cities to cooler northern and western destinations are operating at over 90-percent capacity this month.

Data from travel platforms also echoed the shift. Fliggy noted rising bookings from heat-affected areas to cooler destinations like Kunming, Yunnan province, Harbin, Heilongjiang province, Dalian, Liaoning province, Lanzhou, Gansu province, and Hohhot in Inner Mongolia, many of which boast daytime highs between 20 C and 28 C, even during the peak of summer.

In Dalian, a coastal city in Liaoning, hotels reported robust business. "We expect full bookings every night after July 15," says Huang Binbin, marketing director at Hengli Hotel, adding that the bookings made by travelers from heat-affected cities are rising.

Drawing on long-term data from weather stations across the country, the China Meteorological Administration has released 16 "heat-escaping routes" tailored for summer comfort. The routes highlight areas with cool temperatures and low humidity, ranging from the pine forests of Heilongjiang to the highland pastures of Xizang autonomous region.

Climate resources are a core element of tourism development, says Xiong Shaoyuan, deputy director of the CMA. He notes that transforming meteorological landscapes and climatic endowments into tourism resources is emerging as a new avenue to stimulate regional economies by harnessing ecological advantages.

With an average summer temperature of 20 C, Inner Mongolia has become a standout heat-escaping destination. The region recently hosted a conference on climate tourism to pool wisdom to make such travels more appealing.

To offer travelers more personalized, diverse, and memorable vacation experiences, summer destinations across the country are broadening their offerings. They're going beyond traditional sightseeing to include immersive experiences focused on wellness, outdoor sports, and ethnic culture.

In Northeast China's Jilin province, a resort at Changbai Mountain has launched a new canyon adventure park featuring glass bridge walks, a via ferrata experience (protected climbing route equipped with fixed cables, ladders, bridges and other aids) and other adrenaline-pumping attractions to woo more young tourists.

Meanwhile, in Ergune, the northernmost city in Inner Mongolia, music festivals set amid golden canola fields and wetland rafting experiences invite visitors to explore nature in refreshing new ways.

"It truly is a summer retreat," says Wang Qian, who recently spent six days visiting three different cities in Inner Mongolia, "not just from the heat but from the hustle of urban life as well."