Guizhou · Liupanshui — China’s Cool City

Liupanshui is located in western Guizhou, bordering Sichuan and Yunnan. The establishment of this city began in the 1960s during the Third Front construction. As the coal sea of Southwest China, it was one of the most important projects of the entire Third Front construction. Several major coal mining bases such as Shuicheng, Liuzhi, and Panxian were successively established. Later, with the end of the Third Front construction, these coal mining special zones gradually urbanized and merged into a prefecture-level city. The name Liupanshui was created by taking one character from each of the three districts.

As a traditional resource-based city, Liupanshui has long been known as an old industrial base. However, in recent years, with the rise of summer tourism, Liupanshui has gradually found its unique climatic advantage: cool summers. The title of "China’s Cool City" was thus established. A large number of people from Sichuan flock here to escape the summer heat, boosting the local economy and achieving a successful transformation.

The summer in Liupanshui is indeed cool. Located in the Wumeng Mountains at the junction of Yunnan and Guizhou, it sits at an altitude of about 1800 meters. Compared to the pleasantly cool Guiyang, Liupanshui is several degrees cooler. Compared to the plateau of Yunnan, the temperature here is not too low. After all, people come to escape the heat, but they don’t plan to wear jackets all summer, right? Therefore, Liupanshui’s temperature is just right, making it a perfect summer resort.

Liupanshui itself has also vigorously developed its tourism resources, starting with the renovation of the urban area. In the past, Liupanshui felt very remote, with winding mountain roads that seemed endless. Due to the coal and steel industries, the city always felt somewhat dirty. Today, Liupanshui is just an hour and a half by high-speed train from Guiyang, and three hours by highway. The coal and steel industries have long moved out of the city into industrial parks, and the urban area has undergone extensive greening, transforming into a green city. Several artificial lakes dot the narrow city nestled between two mountains, creating a mountain-water urban landscape.

Outside the city, Liupanshui also boasts the Yeyuhai Scenic Area, a comprehensive park that includes a Yi ethnic style town, alpine meadows, and a national forest park. The Wumeng Grassland in Panzhou is a classic highland grassland. Additionally, the engineering marvel of the Beipanjiang Bridge and the millennium-old ginkgo forest in Tuole, Panzhou, are all charming attractions worth visiting.

Liupanshui’s cuisine is also quite good. The most famous dishes are Shuicheng mutton noodles and Shuicheng baked pot. The flavors here are completely different from those in Guiyang but are definitely worth trying.

Post by VoyagingDreamer | Aug 26, 2025