Yueyang is pleasant year-round but the most celebrated time to visit is June, when the Dragon Boat Festival brings racing teams and traditional celebrations to the Miluo River. The international races at Miluo are held on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month; the exact date varies each year. Dongting Lake is most beautiful in autumn when the water is high from summer rains and the surrounding reeds turn gold.
Summer brings heat and humidity typical of the Yangtze river basin; winters are mild by northern Chinese standards but can be damp and grey. Spring brings the lotus season on Dongting Lake — the lake's shallower margins fill with flowering lotus from May through August, and boat tours specifically for lotus viewing run during this period.