Winter here runs December to February. Moganshan in winter can offer a quieter stay, but neither an empty mountain nor a cheap room is guaranteed. Our dated price research gives a starting point for budgeting. Weather, the holiday calendar and the facilities at your chosen property still need checking for your dates.
Here means Moganshan (莫干山), in Deqing County (德清县), Huzhou (湖州), Zhejiang (浙江), China. Its main peak, Tashan (塔山), stands 719 to 720 metres up. Hangzhou (杭州) is roughly 60 km down the road to the south, Shanghai (上海) 200 to 240 km off. Moganshan Road, which your search will also turn up, is a street in Shanghai. The seasons guide sets winter against the other three.
How cold it gets
January is the coldest month, and our sources disagree.
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| January mean, the figure we use | 1.4 °C |
| January mean, the other published figure | About 3.5 °C |
| July and August mean | 24.1 °C |
Temperature means, BeyondBorder Group Ltd primary research, 1 to 5 August 2026.
We print 1.4 °C because it is better supported. The honest range is roughly 1.4 to 3.5 °C. Both sit close to freezing, and a mean averages mild afternoons against cold nights, so pack for the colder end. The mountain runs 6 to 7 °C below the cities in summer. No source gives the winter version of that gap, so treat a city forecast as a steer. Moganshan weather sets out what we know and what we do not.
Moganshan snow is not a plan
Snow brings people here, and we cannot give them what they want.
We have no verified long term snowfall record for this mountain: no average number of snow days or dependable depth. At 720 metres in this part of Zhejiang, a January dusting is possible rather than dependable. Do not book on the promise of snow. Moganshan in the snow sets out the dated snowfall record, town forecast and road access checks.
Do not picture the opposite either. This mountain is a bamboo crop. Forest cover runs over 92 per cent, mostly moso, grown to be cut and sold. How that looks in January we have no record of. The old hill station and Sword Pond (剑池) may be reasons to visit, but snow can interrupt access to individual sights even when the wider scenic area reopens.
The ticket, and a half price rule one source states
Winter is when the entry price is supposed to drop. Supposed to, because the two published price sets disagree.
| Published price set | In season | What it says about winter |
|---|---|---|
| The higher set | RMB 120 in advance, RMB 130 at the gate | Half price through winter, about RMB 60 to 65 |
| The lower set | RMB 80 when busy | RMB 50 the rest of the year, and no winter discount stated |
Both published ticket sets and the winter half price rule, BeyondBorder Group Ltd primary research, 1 to 5 August 2026.
Only the higher set states the half price rule. The lower one never uses the word winter, and neither says which months qualify. These are dated research figures, not a confirmed offer for your visit. Tickets and entry has the conflict in full.
Rooms at the bottom of the band
Our August research put a midrange room in the low season at RMB 300 to 500 a night, against RMB 1,000 in July and August. The upper end started near RMB 1,500. These are comparison bands, not quotes for a particular winter night.
Room rates, guesthouse numbers, the bed cap and 2024 occupancy, BeyondBorder Group Ltd primary research, 1 to 5 August 2026.
That research recorded about 1,000 guesthouses against a bed capacity capped near 10,000 in late 2017, and average occupancy of about 55 per cent in 2024. Those figures do not establish the rate or availability at an individual property this winter.
We have no verified inventory of properties or kitchens that close for winter. Ask your guesthouse about room heating, dinner and any pool or bathing facility when you ask the price. What actually closes in winter separates the dated closure record from what still needs checking. Where to stay covers the villages and tiers.
Arrange the evening before arrival
Do not assume every village shuts in winter. Deqing News reported visitors at the tourist transfer centre and New Year activities on Mogan Yujie (莫干庾街) during Spring Festival 2026. That holiday account does not establish ordinary weekday opening hours or dinner service at your accommodation.
Spring Festival visitors and street activities, Deqing News (德清新闻网), 24 February 2026, tier 2. https://dqnews.zjol.com.cn/dqnews/system/2026/02/24/035157936.shtml
For an evening indoors, establish what heats the bedroom and whether dinner needs booking. Heating in a Republic era villa explains what the listings show and what to ask. If you plan to eat elsewhere, confirm that venue’s hours and your return transport. Choose a property where you would be content spending time if weather interrupts the next day’s walk.
Check access and the return journey
Road icing temporarily closed the scenic area on 30 January 2026. Tide News reported reopening from 1 February after clearance and inspection, with Sword Pond and Dakeng (大坑) among the sights still excluded. This is a historical example, not their current status.
Temporary snow closure and partial reopening, Tide News (潮新闻), 31 January 2026, tier 2. https://tidenews.com.cn/news.html?id=3360833
| Part of the journey | What to confirm for your date |
|---|---|
| Scenic area admission | The latest dated operating notice |
| Individual sights and paths | Whether your intended route is included in any reopening |
| Transfer services | Departure point, operating hours and last return |
| Accommodation collection | A meeting point that still works if access changes |
We have no verified winter timetable to print here. The shuttle guide distinguishes the services; obtain the current arrangements before setting off. Allow time for the return trip before a fixed train, and repeat the access check on the morning of your outing.
Moganshan in December, January and February
| Month | What changes |
|---|---|
| December | Plan walks and return transport around the shorter daylight |
| January | Coldest monthly mean in our research: 1.4 °C, or about 3.5 °C by the other source. The case for January |
| February | Spring Festival 2027: New Year’s Eve is Friday 5 February, and 5 to 8 February are the days off fixed by law. What’s open and what to book |
Lunar new year 2027 on Saturday 6 February, New Year’s Eve on Friday 5 February, Hong Kong Observatory (香港天文台), Gregorian and lunar calendar table for 2027, tier 1. https://www.hko.gov.hk/tc/gts/time/calendar/text/files/T2027c.txt
Spring Festival four days, New Year’s Eve and days one to three, in force from 1 January 2025, State Council (国务院), 国令第795号, 12 November 2024, tier 1. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/202411/content_6986381.htm
The full 2027 block waits on the State Council General Office’s yearly notice, which can stretch the four days by swapping weekend days.
The low season room band is a budgeting reference for these months, not a guarantee. Check the holiday calendar before assuming a winter date will be quiet.
Compare the actual weekday and weekend quotes for your stay. A general description of winter demand cannot tell you which rooms will be available.
Who should come, and when
A winter trip suits someone who can change a walking plan and enjoy the accommodation if mountain access is disrupted.
| Come in winter if | Stay home if |
|---|---|
| What you want is the mountain itself | This is your only trip to China |
| You can change plans when access is disrupted | Anyone with you will not walk in the cold |
| Price is what decides the trip | You need a village awake at nine |
The site generally sends first time visitors here in autumn. If you choose winter, pick the guesthouse with heating and meals in mind, then check access for the sights you want. The best time to visit compares the seasons.
Last checked 3 November 2026 by Liyan Ye. Prices, timetables and entry rules on this mountain move without notice, so confirm anything you are booking around.
Photographs on this site are representative illustrations, not documentary images of the specific building, property or service described.
