August is a great time for family summer getaways; this place is less crowded and cooler.
When I take my children out in August, the biggest fear is not the heat, but the crowds. The 8 places I chose this time focused on one "cool" and "less crowded", some of which even local friends called "underrated". When you take your children out, being comfortable and having fun is more important than taking pictures. You can copy this list directly.
01 Huizhou | Guangdong
The beauty of Huizhou is that silent. Don't stay in bed in the morning, ⏰ Arrive at Huizhou West Lake before seven o'clock, the morning fog has not yet dissipated, there are only local uncles walking by the lake. The children can feed the koi, and it only takes an hour to walk around the lake, which is more than three degrees cooler than in the afternoon.
📍Enter from Gushanmen, come out just connected to the morning market on the pedestrian street, cha siu and soy milk are just hot from the oven.
The sun was shining brightly in the afternoon, so I drove directly to Mount Loufu. Don’t insist on climbing, take the cable car halfway up the hill and walk a short forested trail with the stream at your feet. Children can't walk when they see water. Remember to bring an extra set of change of clothes. There is a bean curd stall at the foot of the hill. The iced ones are served for three dollars a bowl. The bean flavor is so rich that it doesn't look like that of a scenic spot.
Rush to Sun Yau Bay in the evening. The beach belongs to you at this time.
⚠️ Don't go to the seaside at noon. It's not a joke to get tanned. There are small transparent crabs in the sand after low tide, get a small bucket and you can play for an hour. For dinner, buy seafood at the market and have it processed by a big stall. The processing fee is calculated by the pound, which is more cost-effective than ordering food at a hotel.
02 Jinhua | Zhejiang
In Jinhua, people who bring children are mostly rushing to Hengdian. But my advice is, don’t rush into the scenic spot in the first place before spending half a day visiting the Double Dragon Scenic Tourist Area. The cave is 18 degrees for a long time, and you have to add a thin jacket when you enter. The children will keep "wow" against the stalactites.
🚄 There is a direct tourist line from Jinhua Station, every half hour, so you don't have to change trains with your children.
In the case of Hengdian, you can't finish the fun in one day. Just choose one park. Take your children to choose the Ming and Qing palaces, the place is flat, stroller-friendly, and you can watch the reality show of the "Forbidden Ceremony".
🍜 At noon in Wansheng Street outside the scenic spot, Jinhua pot is commonly eaten by locals. The soup is rich and children can eat two bowls with rice.
⚠️ Ask the price before renting ancient costumes to take pictures. Some shops include headdresses and fans, which are easily unpleasant when paying the bill.
Return to the city in the evening and go for a walk around Guzicheng. There is a pastry shop at the foot of the old city wall, freshly baked pickled meat filling, one bite to fall off the crumbs, five dollars each, children chase you and ask for a second.
03 Dongying | Shandong
East Camp is a seriously underrated summer destination. The Yellow River Estuary Eco-tourism Area sounds like a destination for senior citizens, but if you bring your children once, you will know that the wind here carries the fragrance of reeds.
⏰ Enter the scenic spot after 4pm, the light is soft, migratory birds begin to return to their nests, Danding cranes, swans are out, children can see half a day without moving with a telescope.
There are battery cars in the scenic area. The route is fixed and stops at each point for ten minutes.
📍 The distant lookout is the command height, you can see the yellow and blue dividing line of the Yellow River into the sea, especially clear in good weather.
⚠️ Remember to bring mosquito repellent, wetland ecology is good, mosquitoes are very spiritual.
After watching the sunset, go back to the city and find a dumpling shop. Although the crabs at the mouth of the Yellow River are not yet at their fattest season, the mackerel dumplings are very fresh and sweet. Children can eat five each. Stay in the city at night, the house price is cheap, excellent value for money.
04 Hawk Pond | Jiangxi
Dragon and Tiger Mountain in Eagle Pond is the kind of place where "you think it's boring, but the kids play until they refuse to leave". In the morning, we rafted on a bamboo raft. The water of the Lixi River was crystal clear, with red stones from the Danxia landscape on both sides. The boatmen occasionally sang a few folk songs, and the children were fascinated.
⏰ First raft at 8:30, few people, quiet water, you can hear the birds chirping.
In the afternoon, we went to the coffin-raising performance site. There were several performances a day, which talked about the custom of cliff burials during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Don't think that the children can't understand. Once the performance came out, the children in the audience were dumbfounded and shocked by the animated film.
📍After watching the performance, walk along the canyon for a while, you can see the Elephant Trunk Mountain, the angle is well found, the photo looks like in Zhangjiajie.
⚠️ The sightseeing car in the scenic area stops at 5:30 pm. Don't play too late. For dinner, we went to Hang Tan City for dinner. Shangqing tofu is a local specialty. It is as tender as steamed eggs. Children can eat a large bowl with rice. A table of dishes costs $40 per person.
🚄 There is a direct bus from the high-speed rail station to the scenic spot. Don't take the black car to attract customers.
05 Datong|Shanxi
Datong's cool, the kind of dry cool, sunbaked under the sun, cool immediately under the shade of the trees. Go to Yungang Grottoes in the morning, ⏰ open at 8 o'clock and enter, the light slantly hits the Buddha statue, the expression is particularly kind. Children may not be able to see Buddhist art, but those huge stone statues are enough to shock them.
📍 The open-air Buddha in Cave 20 is a sign, be sure to take pictures.
⚠️ Flash lights are not allowed in the cave. The staff will remind you.
In the afternoon, go to Hangkong Temple, a wooden temple built on a cliff, where children will ask “why don’t they fall”, just taking the opportunity to talk about the wisdom of ancient craftsmen. To go to the temple, you have to climb narrow stairs. If you bring too young children, you can see it below. Beiyue Hengshan is right next to it, ⏰ Climbing after 3pm, you can reach the top in two hours, windy and cool, wide view.
🍜 Dinner must eat knife-shaped noodles, Datong is the birthplace. Find a shop where locals are queuing up. The noodles should be medium-thick and the dim sum should be pork. With a dim sum, the kids can eat a bowl.
🚄 Take a taxi from Datong Station to Yungang about 25 dollars, the price is clear.
06 Kunming | Yunnan
Kunming is the kind of place where you have to wear a thin jacket in the summer, bringing your kids purely for a summer vacation. Go to Daguan Park in the morning, ⏰ Arrive before 9pm, few people, you can rent a small boat to wander in the sea of Yunnan grass. The kids love to feed the seagulls, and although there aren’t many seagulls in August, the big lawn in the park is enough for them to run around.
In the afternoon, we went to Dongchuan Red Land. Although the drive is a bit far, the children will think they have reached Mars with the red soil that covers the sky.
📍Luoxia Groove is an observation deck, with the best light and shadow after 4pm, layered farmland like a palette.
⚠️ There is no shading in red land scenic spots, sunscreen must be applied thickly.
If you don’t want to run far, Kunming Expo Park is worth a late afternoon. The garden is large, tree-filled, and a variety of exotic plants in the greenhouse.
🍜 Go to eat mushroom hot pot near Nan Ping Street at night, this season is mushroom season, see hand green, beef liver mushrooms cooked in the pot for ten minutes, fresh and sweet to the eyebrows. If children can't eat mushrooms, order a steam pot chicken. The soup is sweet and tender, and you won't be fooled.
07 Chong Left | Guangxi
The left-wing Sino-Vietnamese border line hides a treasure of summer play in the water. Detian Transnational Waterfall, ⏰ arrived around 10 am, the maximum amount of water, water mist on the face, cool as if turning on the air conditioner. Children can take a bamboo raft to the foot of the waterfall and feel the water up close. Remember to wear sandals, the ground is slippery.
📍 There is a Chinese-Vietnamese style street in the scenic spot, Vietnamese yogurt and coffee can try, the price is not expensive.
Go to Ming Shi Tian Yuen in the afternoon. This is more suitable for renting a bicycle and cycling slowly. The path between the paddy fields is flanked by typical karst peak forests, with children stomping in front and you chasing behind, the smell of grass as the wind blows.
⚠️ The bamboo raft cruise in the countryside is average value for money, it's better to ride a bicycle.
The rock paintings of Huashan in Zuojiang are a World Cultural Heritage Site, viewed from a cruise ship.
⏰ The 4:30 pm boat, the light is soft, the red pattern on the rock wall is particularly clear in the sunset. Children may ask, “Why did the ancients draw this,” just as a history lesson.
🍜 Dinner in the county town, sour congee is a specialty, maybe children are not used to eating, but fried spring rolls and fake wormwood buns they must like.
08 Shigatse | Tibet
The coolness of Shigatse is the kind of coolness that requires wearing a jacket. If you bring children, the first stop must be Tashilhunpo Monastery.
⏰ Open the door at 9am and enter, the sun shines on the golden roof, the sound of the prayer wheel is crisp. Kids will be shocked by the huge Buddha statues and murals and will wonder why someone has to kowtow, just tell them slowly.
In the afternoon, if your child is physically strong, you can drive towards Everest Base Camp. You don't have to climb to the top, you can see five 8,000-meter snow-capped peaks from the Gaura Pass. The shock will be remembered by children for a lifetime.
⚠️ The altitude is high, if the children have any discomfort immediately fall back, do not push hard.
📍 The Rongbuk Temple passed by on the road is the highest temple in the world. You can see the sunset on Mount Everest at the door. The gold dyes the top of the mountain. It is too beautiful to say anything.
🍜 Go back to Shigatse city at night, drink a pot of sweet tea and eat a bowl of Tibetan noodles. Sweet tea is cooked with milk powder and red tea, children will love the taste, warm and suitable for plateau nights.
🚄 There is a train from Lhasa to Shigatse, two hours away, much more worry-free than driving.
Each of these 8 places has its own cool and cool way. Huizhou and Chongzuo are suitable for playing in the water, Kunming and Datong are suitable for avoiding high temperatures, Dongying and Hangtan are less crowded and Jingqi, and Jinhua and Shiga are suitable for children to open their eyes. Where do you plan to take your children? Talk in the comment section and maybe even pick up fellow travelers.
When I take my children out in August, the biggest fear is not the heat, but the crowds. The 8 places I chose this time focused on one "cool" and "less crowded", some of which even local friends called "underrated". When you take your children out, being comfortable and having fun is more important than taking pictures. You can copy this list directly.
01 Huizhou | Guangdong
The beauty of Huizhou is that silent. Don't stay in bed in the morning, ⏰ Arrive at Huizhou West Lake before seven o'clock, the morning fog has not yet dissipated, there are only local uncles walking by the lake. The children can feed the koi, and it only takes an hour to walk around the lake, which is more than three degrees cooler than in the afternoon.
📍Enter from Gushanmen, come out just connected to the morning market on the pedestrian street, cha siu and soy milk are just hot from the oven.
The sun was shining brightly in the afternoon, so I drove directly to Mount Loufu. Don’t insist on climbing, take the cable car halfway up the hill and walk a short forested trail with the stream at your feet. Children can't walk when they see water. Remember to bring an extra set of change of clothes. There is a bean curd stall at the foot of the hill. The iced ones are served for three dollars a bowl. The bean flavor is so rich that it doesn't look like that of a scenic spot.
Rush to Sun Yau Bay in the evening. The beach belongs to you at this time.
⚠️ Don't go to the seaside at noon. It's not a joke to get tanned. There are small transparent crabs in the sand after low tide, get a small bucket and you can play for an hour. For dinner, buy seafood at the market and have it processed by a big stall. The processing fee is calculated by the pound, which is more cost-effective than ordering food at a hotel.
02 Jinhua | Zhejiang
In Jinhua, people who bring children are mostly rushing to Hengdian. But my advice is, don’t rush into the scenic spot in the first place before spending half a day visiting the Double Dragon Scenic Tourist Area. The cave is 18 degrees for a long time, and you have to add a thin jacket when you enter. The children will keep "wow" against the stalactites.
🚄 There is a direct tourist line from Jinhua Station, every half hour, so you don't have to change trains with your children.
In the case of Hengdian, you can't finish the fun in one day. Just choose one park. Take your children to choose the Ming and Qing palaces, the place is flat, stroller-friendly, and you can watch the reality show of the "Forbidden Ceremony".
🍜 At noon in Wansheng Street outside the scenic spot, Jinhua pot is commonly eaten by locals. The soup is rich and children can eat two bowls with rice.
⚠️ Ask the price before renting ancient costumes to take pictures. Some shops include headdresses and fans, which are easily unpleasant when paying the bill.
Return to the city in the evening and go for a walk around Guzicheng. There is a pastry shop at the foot of the old city wall, freshly baked pickled meat filling, one bite to fall off the crumbs, five dollars each, children chase you and ask for a second.
03 Dongying | Shandong
East Camp is a seriously underrated summer destination. The Yellow River Estuary Eco-tourism Area sounds like a destination for senior citizens, but if you bring your children once, you will know that the wind here carries the fragrance of reeds.
⏰ Enter the scenic spot after 4pm, the light is soft, migratory birds begin to return to their nests, Danding cranes, swans are out, children can see half a day without moving with a telescope.
There are battery cars in the scenic area. The route is fixed and stops at each point for ten minutes.
📍 The distant lookout is the command height, you can see the yellow and blue dividing line of the Yellow River into the sea, especially clear in good weather.
⚠️ Remember to bring mosquito repellent, wetland ecology is good, mosquitoes are very spiritual.
After watching the sunset, go back to the city and find a dumpling shop. Although the crabs at the mouth of the Yellow River are not yet at their fattest season, the mackerel dumplings are very fresh and sweet. Children can eat five each. Stay in the city at night, the house price is cheap, excellent value for money.
04 Hawk Pond | Jiangxi
Dragon and Tiger Mountain in Eagle Pond is the kind of place where "you think it's boring, but the kids play until they refuse to leave". In the morning, we rafted on a bamboo raft. The water of the Lixi River was crystal clear, with red stones from the Danxia landscape on both sides. The boatmen occasionally sang a few folk songs, and the children were fascinated.
⏰ First raft at 8:30, few people, quiet water, you can hear the birds chirping.
In the afternoon, we went to the coffin-raising performance site. There were several performances a day, which talked about the custom of cliff burials during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Don't think that the children can't understand. Once the performance came out, the children in the audience were dumbfounded and shocked by the animated film.
📍After watching the performance, walk along the canyon for a while, you can see the Elephant Trunk Mountain, the angle is well found, the photo looks like in Zhangjiajie.
⚠️ The sightseeing car in the scenic area stops at 5:30 pm. Don't play too late. For dinner, we went to Hang Tan City for dinner. Shangqing tofu is a local specialty. It is as tender as steamed eggs. Children can eat a large bowl with rice. A table of dishes costs $40 per person.
🚄 There is a direct bus from the high-speed rail station to the scenic spot. Don't take the black car to attract customers.
05 Datong|Shanxi
Datong's cool, the kind of dry cool, sunbaked under the sun, cool immediately under the shade of the trees. Go to Yungang Grottoes in the morning, ⏰ open at 8 o'clock and enter, the light slantly hits the Buddha statue, the expression is particularly kind. Children may not be able to see Buddhist art, but those huge stone statues are enough to shock them.
📍 The open-air Buddha in Cave 20 is a sign, be sure to take pictures.
⚠️ Flash lights are not allowed in the cave. The staff will remind you.
In the afternoon, go to Hangkong Temple, a wooden temple built on a cliff, where children will ask “why don’t they fall”, just taking the opportunity to talk about the wisdom of ancient craftsmen. To go to the temple, you have to climb narrow stairs. If you bring too young children, you can see it below. Beiyue Hengshan is right next to it, ⏰ Climbing after 3pm, you can reach the top in two hours, windy and cool, wide view.
🍜 Dinner must eat knife-shaped noodles, Datong is the birthplace. Find a shop where locals are queuing up. The noodles should be medium-thick and the dim sum should be pork. With a dim sum, the kids can eat a bowl.
🚄 Take a taxi from Datong Station to Yungang about 25 dollars, the price is clear.
06 Kunming | Yunnan
Kunming is the kind of place where you have to wear a thin jacket in the summer, bringing your kids purely for a summer vacation. Go to Daguan Park in the morning, ⏰ Arrive before 9pm, few people, you can rent a small boat to wander in the sea of Yunnan grass. The kids love to feed the seagulls, and although there aren’t many seagulls in August, the big lawn in the park is enough for them to run around.
In the afternoon, we went to Dongchuan Red Land. Although the drive is a bit far, the children will think they have reached Mars with the red soil that covers the sky.
📍Luoxia Groove is an observation deck, with the best light and shadow after 4pm, layered farmland like a palette.
⚠️ There is no shading in red land scenic spots, sunscreen must be applied thickly.
If you don’t want to run far, Kunming Expo Park is worth a late afternoon. The garden is large, tree-filled, and a variety of exotic plants in the greenhouse.
🍜 Go to eat mushroom hot pot near Nan Ping Street at night, this season is mushroom season, see hand green, beef liver mushrooms cooked in the pot for ten minutes, fresh and sweet to the eyebrows. If children can't eat mushrooms, order a steam pot chicken. The soup is sweet and tender, and you won't be fooled.
07 Chong Left | Guangxi
The left-wing Sino-Vietnamese border line hides a treasure of summer play in the water. Detian Transnational Waterfall, ⏰ arrived around 10 am, the maximum amount of water, water mist on the face, cool as if turning on the air conditioner. Children can take a bamboo raft to the foot of the waterfall and feel the water up close. Remember to wear sandals, the ground is slippery.
📍 There is a Chinese-Vietnamese style street in the scenic spot, Vietnamese yogurt and coffee can try, the price is not expensive.
Go to Ming Shi Tian Yuen in the afternoon. This is more suitable for renting a bicycle and cycling slowly. The path between the paddy fields is flanked by typical karst peak forests, with children stomping in front and you chasing behind, the smell of grass as the wind blows.
⚠️ The bamboo raft cruise in the countryside is average value for money, it's better to ride a bicycle.
The rock paintings of Huashan in Zuojiang are a World Cultural Heritage Site, viewed from a cruise ship.
⏰ The 4:30 pm boat, the light is soft, the red pattern on the rock wall is particularly clear in the sunset. Children may ask, “Why did the ancients draw this,” just as a history lesson.
🍜 Dinner in the county town, sour congee is a specialty, maybe children are not used to eating, but fried spring rolls and fake wormwood buns they must like.
08 Shigatse | Tibet
The coolness of Shigatse is the kind of coolness that requires wearing a jacket. If you bring children, the first stop must be Tashilhunpo Monastery.
⏰ Open the door at 9am and enter, the sun shines on the golden roof, the sound of the prayer wheel is crisp. Kids will be shocked by the huge Buddha statues and murals and will wonder why someone has to kowtow, just tell them slowly.
In the afternoon, if your child is physically strong, you can drive towards Everest Base Camp. You don't have to climb to the top, you can see five 8,000-meter snow-capped peaks from the Gaura Pass. The shock will be remembered by children for a lifetime.
⚠️ The altitude is high, if the children have any discomfort immediately fall back, do not push hard.
📍 The Rongbuk Temple passed by on the road is the highest temple in the world. You can see the sunset on Mount Everest at the door. The gold dyes the top of the mountain. It is too beautiful to say anything.
🍜 Go back to Shigatse city at night, drink a pot of sweet tea and eat a bowl of Tibetan noodles. Sweet tea is cooked with milk powder and red tea, children will love the taste, warm and suitable for plateau nights.
🚄 There is a train from Lhasa to Shigatse, two hours away, much more worry-free than driving.
Each of these 8 places has its own cool and cool way. Huizhou and Chongzuo are suitable for playing in the water, Kunming and Datong are suitable for avoiding high temperatures, Dongying and Hangtan are less crowded and Jingqi, and Jinhua and Shiga are suitable for children to open their eyes. Where do you plan to take your children? Talk in the comment section and maybe even pick up fellow travelers.