Shanghai in December

December is Shanghai’s driest month, which combined with low prices and low crowds makes it quietly one of the better times to come. It is cold — genuinely cold in the damp way — but you get many clear, crisp days.

Shanghai also decorates more heavily than anywhere else in China for Christmas, which is not a public holiday here but is a retail one. The malls, the Concession streets and the hotels go to considerable effort, and it makes for a pleasant if surreal contrast with the ordinary city around it.

The final fortnight is expensive and busy with expat returning travellers and New Year. Before that, December is excellent value.

What is good about it

• Clear, dry days — statistically the best visibility of the year
• Christmas decorations and lights across the Concession and the malls
• Cheap hotels for most of the month

Watch out for

• Cold and damp — the coldest winter month alongside January
• Christmas and New Year weeks are expensive
• Short days; dark just after five

What to bring

• A warm coat — this is real winter, not a jacket month
• Gloves and a hat if you plan to be by the river at dusk
• Layers for heated interiors

The verdict

A good budget month with decent weather, provided you dress for it and avoid the last ten days.