Seasons in Wuhan

We are now entering one of two windows in the year when the weather is very pleasant. Whilst exact times vary, these windows are roughly March-May and September-November. While it would be easy to name these periods ‘Spring’ and ‘Autumn’ this is not the narrative most Wuhan people give. According to most people, Wuhan only has two seasons; summer and winter. Known as one of the three (or four depending who you ask) furnaces of China, summers in Wuhan can be slightly uncomfortable to say the least. Temperatures are typically in the mid-30s though can reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius on particularly uncomfortable days. Perhaps worse than the temperature though is the humidity which can be quite stifling. Luckily for most teachers coming to Wuhan, the peak temperatures are reached in July and August which happily sits outside the school year (giving you an opportunity to get somewhere a little cooler). Winters are cold though not too bad, the temperature rarely getting beneath freezing. Despite the temperatures being no lower than England, my Chinese friends promise me that it is terribly cold and warn me constantly to wrap up. Whilst I appreciate their friendly worry, I know other circumstances where it has been slightly more frustrating. A friend of mine was constantly warned by his co-workers to ‘Wrap up more!’ and ‘Be careful – the Wuhan winter is very cold!’ only for him to exasperatingly reply that as a Canadian he was used to sub-zero winter temperatures and actually the 2 degrees Celsius winter low represented quite a mild day!

Anyway, the winter has very much broken and we are now treated to brisk mornings and warm afternoons. With the change in season also comes a change in food. Seasonal vegetables are changing with cai tai (a personal favourite) beginning to drop off restaurant menus. Soon though I hope that liang mian will be making a return, a delicious cold noodle dish widely available and particularly tasty on a hot day. Along with this, shao kao (barbecued meats and vegetables) establishments are beginning to fill the alleys with tables and chairs providing a great place to get some late night food and beer. Winter-warming spicy hot-pots are eaten less (at least by me..) and the sales of chilled nai cha (milk tea) and dou jiang (soy milk) are back on the rise. That is one of the great things about the seasons, the feel of the city really changes and there are different things to look forward to at different times. Having said that, I’m certainly hoping for a long spring!