China in late March

[RPCrowe]

I may take a trip to Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Guilin, and Hong Kong starting in Beijing on March 23rd 2010. I am wondering what kind of air quality I can expect?

Will it be dusty with winds blowing? Would it be better to pay several more hundred dollars each and travel later in April?

We kind of like colder weather but, don't want to meet frigid temperatures.

[heladepela]

I was there late March/early April 2008 and Beijing was still a bit chilly at times. We mostly had very good weather though, clear skies and hardly any smog. Maybe we were lucky we went just before the Olympics and they'd already shut down a load of construction sites ? Going up to the Chinese wall @ Jinshanling -> Simatai was windy but sunny and we walked all the way so that kept us warm (Didn't walk to the wall, but on it).