Winter Heating in China: What to Expect Indoors

One of the biggest surprises for students arriving in China is that winter is two different experiences depending on where your university is. North of the traditional heating line, buildings are warm enough that people wear t-shirts indoors in January while it is minus ten outside. South of it, there is no central heating at all, and the cold follows you inside in a way that newcomers from colder countries often find harder than the temperature suggests. This guide explains how each system works, what it costs you, what to check before you rent, and the small purchases that make a southern winter comfortable.

Last reviewed: September 2026 · Part of our Life in China guide series.

The heating line, and why it exists

China’s heating provision broadly follows a line drawn decades ago across the country. Cities north of it were built with district heating infrastructure — a boiler or plant feeding hot water through pipes into radiators in every building. Cities south of it were not, on the reasoning that winters there are short. The result is a genuine and slightly counter-intuitive split: a student in Harbin is warm indoors, while a student in Shanghai, where it rarely drops below freezing, may spend January cold inside their own flat.

There are exceptions in both directions. Some southern cities have district heating in newer districts, and some northern buildings — particularly older or converted ones — heat poorly. Ask rather than assume.

	North (central heating)	South (no central heating)
How it works	Hot water piped from a district plant to radiators	Heat-pump air conditioner or portable electric heater per room
Control	Usually none in the flat; the season is set centrally	You switch it on and off yourself
Billing	Often a flat fee by floor area for the season, sometimes shared heating costs split across the building	Your own electricity bill
Indoor reality	Warm, often over-warm and dry	Room temperature follows the weather unless you heat it
Common complaint	Too dry, stuffy, cannot turn it down	Damp cold, condensation, high electricity bills

How central heating works in a northern flat

You will notice radiators along the outside walls, usually under windows, with a valve at one end. The season generally begins in mid-November and runs to mid-March, set by the local government rather than by you or your landlord. In the days before it starts there is often a pressure test, and you may be asked to be at home in case a radiator leaks.

• You usually cannot turn it off. If the flat is too warm, open a window — this is normal and everyone does it.
• The air gets very dry. A cheap humidifier, a bowl of water near the radiator, or a wet towel is the standard fix; dry air is why people get sore throats and static shocks all winter.
• Bleed or check radiators early. A radiator that is cold at the top and warm at the bottom has trapped air. Report it to your landlord or the management office in the first week of the season, not in February.
• Do not put things on top of radiators or dry clothes directly over them for long periods — it is a fire risk with electric units and a mould risk with damp laundry.

Heating a flat in the south

Without central heating, warmth is something you create room by room. The most efficient tool is the heat-pump air conditioner — the same unit that cools you in summer, run in reverse. It moves heat rather than making it, so it costs a fraction of a resistive electric heater for the same warmth. If your flat has a unit in each room, you have what you need; if it has one in the living room only, the bedrooms will be cold unless you supplement them.

• Set around 20°C and leave it running rather than blasting it hot for short periods — heat pumps are most efficient holding a temperature.
• Close the doors of the room you are heating. Heating an entire flat with one unit is expensive and ineffective.
• Clean the filters at the start of the season; a clogged filter halves the output.
• Use a portable heater only for short bursts in one room. Running one for hours is the single most expensive way to stay warm.
• Electric blankets are cheap and effective — but buy from a reputable seller, never fold a switched-on blanket, and switch it off before you sleep.

What it costs

In the north, heating is often included in the rent or billed as a single seasonal charge based on the apartment’s area, which means it arrives as one noticeable bill rather than a monthly one — and it is due whether or not you were there. Ask your landlord early in the academic year whether heating is included in your rent, billed separately, or shared across the building, because it materially changes your budget. In the south, heating is simply electricity: expect your bill to jump sharply in December and January, and budget for it rather than being surprised.

For a sense of how this fits into a monthly budget, see our cost of living guide.

What to check before you rent

• Radiators: count them, and check there is one in each main room, not just the living room.
• Windows: single glazing and a visible gap when closed means cold and condensation. Run your hand along the frame during the viewing.
• AC units: ask their age and whether they heat as well as cool. An old unit that only cools is not a heating system.
• Water heater: a slow or small one means short showers in winter.
• Damp: look at the corners of outside walls and around windows for staining or peeling paint. In humid southern cities this is the difference between a flat you enjoy and one you fight.
• Who pays: get heating and heating repairs named in the contract, along with everything else in our renting guide.

The cheap fixes that actually work

Most of what makes a cold flat bearable is not a bigger heater. The highest-value purchases are a thick rug for a tile or concrete floor, lined curtains, a pair of indoor slippers with a proper sole, a humidifier, and a fleece layer you can wear indoors. Tile floors are the main reason a southern flat feels colder than the thermometer says. If you are buying these items anyway, our online shopping guide covers how to order them.

Sources

• District heating provision and seasonal dates as commonly applied in northern Chinese cities
• Residential heat-pump and electric heating practice in southern Chinese cities
• The China Helper accommodation and renting guides (internal, September 2026)

Disclaimer: Rules, prices and platform features in China change frequently and can vary by city, institution and individual circumstances. Always confirm with the relevant authority or provider before making arrangements.