'Cool city' banks on favorable climate to lure visitors

Yushe Snow Mountain Ski Resort in Liupanshui, Guizhou province, features ski slopes surrounded by forests. [Photo by Yao Yong/For China Daily]

Liupanshui, a traditional industrial city in Southwest China's Guizhou province, is taking on a new path to high-quality development in the tourism sector thanks to its unique climate, said Zhang Dingchao, Party secretary of Liupanshui and a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress.

The city's average temperature is 15 C year-round. In 2005, it was named "the Cool City of China" by the Chinese Meteorological Society.

In winter, the city's temperature averages 2 C to 10 C, and it is the only city in the southern parts of the Yangtze River to offer centralized heating services in central urban areas. Its three outdoor ski resorts attract many ice and snow sports enthusiasts who do not want to travel too far north.

"Liupanshui has made good use of its advantages in climate, and rich cultural and tourism resources to realize high-quality development," Zhang said.

In 2025, the city welcomed more than 6.5 million overnight tourist arrivals, up 10 percent year-on-year, ranking second in Guizhou, and marking an increase of 67.3 percent compared with 2020, according to local authorities.

It has been recognized as a "national preferred summer resort destination" and "China's best health and wellness resort city", and has ranked first in the "Summer Habitat Suitability Index for Migratory Bird-type Elderly Care" for three consecutive years.

"In spring, azaleas bloom across the Wumeng Mountains like rosy clouds, and cherry blossoms in Fa'er town draw tourists for photo visits. In summer, the Liupanshui Marathon and the Torch Festival shine together, while paragliding at Zangke River carries people 'flying above the clouds'," he said. "In autumn, golden leaves carpet the ancient ginkgo village of Tuole, with small bridges and flowing streams forming a charming scene. In winter, the wide ski runs of Yushe Snow Mountain and Meihua Mountain International Ski Resort open for the ski season, attracting visitors from all directions."

Zhang Dingchao

Leveraging its advantages of coolness in summer, Liupanshui has hosted the summer cultural and summer resort tourism festival for 22 consecutive years and held 10 Liupanshui Marathons.

"We offer a full-dimensional cool experience featuring sports, culture and sojourning," he added.

Last year, Liupanshui recorded an additional 13.05 percent in domestic tourists and marked a 10.74 percent year-on-year increase in total tourism consumption, according to local authorities.

Thanks to the growing number of sojourners, home buyers from outside the city contribute 30 percent of the total. Liupanshui has improved industrial supporting facilities, to include purchasing and housekeeping services, and explored an integrated "medical care, healthcare and elderly care" model, offering convenient health services for sojourners, Zhang said. It is also increasing urban park and green space coverage.

In winter, its three low-latitude, high-altitude, and large-scale outdoor ski resorts attract tourists.

During the Spring Festival holiday in February, the Meihua Mountain scenic area received more than 100,000 tourist visits, with an average of over 10,000 per day. It collected about 12 million yuan ($1.7 million) in revenue during that period.

The attraction, which is only 5 kilometers away from the CBD, features three ski trails for low, middle, and high-level skiers. Tourists can also experience snow motorcycling, springs, observe penguins, white foxes and dogs. "The experience of skiing followed by a hot spring soak is truly unique, offering a striking contrast between ice and fire that helps relax the body after an exhausting day on the slopes," said a tourist surnamed Luo.

Liu Boqian contributed to this story.