China's "Sunshine City" is Actually in Yunnan?
▲ Aerial view of Waipula Village, Yongren County, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Photo/He Xinwen
If Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture is the throat of Yunnan, then Yongren County is the throat within that throat.
▲ Location map of Yongren County, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. Map/Wu Pan
Around this small city, the wonder and mystery of the great southwest surge like wind and clouds:
▲ Jinsha River at the border of Sichuan and Yunnan. Photo/VCG
To the east, crossing the Jinsha River lies Huili, Sichuan—the "Panzhihua-Xichang Treasure Basin";
To the southeast is Yuanmou, Yunnan, known to every middle school student as the discovery site of Yuanmou Man;
To the north lies Panzhihua, the "Sichuan Special Zone" that feels the least like Sichuan...
▲ Panoramic view of Yongren County. Photo/Lao Lige, Image/Tuchong Creativity
Yet this small town itself is also vibrant and diverse. It combines Yunnan’s perennial spring-like climate, the sweetness of the "Sugar City" Panzhihua, sunlight resources rivaling the "Roof of the World," and the charm of diverse ethnic cultures.
How extraordinary is Yunnan’s "Northern Throat"?
From the main peak of Daxue Mountain in Yijiu Town, which offers a clear view of Panzhihua, to the rushing Jinsha River by Yongding Town, the elevation drop of over 1,900 meters creates towering mountains and broad valleys. It is the majestic and perilous landscape of the great southwest that shapes this "throat of northern Yunnan."
▲ A picturesque corner of Yongren County. Image/Publicity Department of Yongren County Committee
The mountains are its backbone: range upon range of nearly north-south trending mountains—from the Hengduan Mountains to the Daliang Mountains and the Daxue Mountain to the north, along with numerous other peaks—stack layer upon layer, creating a vast and magnificent scene.
The rivers are its robes: the Jinsha River, the main stream of the Yangtze, curves into a huge "几"-shaped bend, winding north and east, forming the most magnificent ribbon of Yongren County. Other rivers, such as Wanma River, Yongding River, and Jiangdi River, flow alongside the mountains, carving out gentle valleys along the way.
▲ Distant view of the Jinsha River, Fangshan Mountain, and the Chinese Zhiju Traditional Ethnic Culture Reserve. Image/Publicity Department of Yongren County Committee
Where mountains and rivers converge, numerous pathways connecting Sichuan and Yunnan form here. From Zhuge Liang’s southern expedition armies to monks traveling between Yunnan’s Jizu Mountain and Sichuan’s Mount Emei, and even travelers on the ancient Southwest Silk Road, all inevitably passed through this land, leaving behind legends.
Yongren’s Fangshan is one such important relay station.
▲ Fangshan, an important relay station. Image/Publicity Department of Yongren County Committee
The character "方" (square) makes it unique among the mountains. Viewed from all four directions, it appears square and upright, with a broad, flat summit and steep edges—like a square desk between heaven and earth. It is a natural military stronghold. Legend says that during Zhuge Liang’s southern expedition, he once stationed troops here. Even in the Qing Dynasty, Fangshan remained a key military site.
Today's Fangshan, with over 70% forest coverage, has become a "natural oxygen bar" and scenic sanctuary. During the height of summer, people from nearby Panzhihua City and Yuanmou County often "head to the cool mountains" to escape the heat and relax here. In fact, the entire Yongren County has a forest coverage rate no less than that of Fangshan, making it a key forested county. The Yunnan Yongren Jinsha River National Forest Park is even more vibrant and uniquely captivating.
▲ Yunnan Yongren Jinsha River National Forest Park. Photo courtesy of Yongren County Committee Propaganda Department.
However, towering mountains and vast rivers, along with long-standing transportation challenges, have constrained local development. As early as 1999, poverty alleviation cadre Zang Jingui traversed the area and advocated for the construction of provincial highways and the expansion of National Highway 108. When viewed in the context of the broader southwestern region, Yongren is precisely at the convergence point of "two provinces, four prefectures, and six counties."
▲ The Beijing-Kunming Expressway and Chengdu-Kunming Railway pass through Yongren County. Photo courtesy of Yongren County Committee Propaganda Department.
Today, his vision is gradually becoming reality. The Beijing-Kunming Expressway, National Highway 108, and the Nanhua-Yongren Second-Class Highway converge in the county seat, while plans for the Chengdu-Kunming Railway, expressways, and Yongren Airport are steadily advancing. Once a remote outpost far from the provincial and prefectural capitals, Yongren has now become the intersection of the transportation triangle connecting Kunming, Panzhihua, and Chuxiong, serving as Yunnan's northern gateway on the Chengdu-Kunming economic belt.
Just how spectacular is the "City of Sunshine in China"?
▲ Yongren County's abundant photovoltaic power generation resources. Photo by Yang Jirong.
Some might think of Lanzhou, the "Golden City," not only impregnable but also bathed in golden sunlight. Others might say it's Shigatse, the "Second Largest City in Tibet," because it boasts the highest annual sunshine duration in the country.
However, when comparing comprehensively, Yongren truly deserves its title as the "City of Sunshine." On one hand, its annual sunshine duration is second only to Shigatse in Tibet, making it one of China's high-value sunlight regions. On the other hand, the abundant sunlight permeates every aspect of daily life and shapes a vibrant Yongren.
▲ Top: Colorful fields in Yongding Town, Yongren County. Photo by Wu Ha, via TuChong Creative. Bottom: Yongren County's 40,000-mu Zhelin late-ripening mango base. Photo courtesy of Yongren County Committee Propaganda Department.
The sunshine brings Yongren more than just an ecologically pristine paradise with perpetual spring-like seasons; it also nurtures bountiful produce that remains sweet as honey all year round. For instance, the late-ripening mangoes grown here rival those from true tropical regions in size, sweetness, and freshness.
Light and heat, monsoons and rainfall, combined with unique topography, collectively shape Yongren's sweet origins. The high altitude and intense solar radiation, coupled with mountains blocking cold air, create a low-latitude region with north-south river-cut valleys. Here, temperatures are high, valley tops are humid, and valley bottoms are dry—a phenomenon known as the "dry-hot valley."
Compared to other regions at the same latitude, Yongren's dry, warm climate and over 300 frost-free days make it a haven for tropical fruits. From river valleys to high mountains, from flatlands to gentle hills, the combination of sunlight and terrain turns Yongren into a multidimensional "laboratory of natural wonders." It is both a "fruit basket" and a "vegetable basket" for highland crops, alongside economic staples like olives, chestnuts, and tobacco. Beyond this, the high sunshine duration also holds endless potential for energy industries and cultural tourism development.
▲ Cherries and chestnuts produced in Yongren County. Image 1 courtesy of Yongren County Committee Propaganda Department; Image 2 photographed by He Xinwen.
Sunshine has created Yongren's colorful landscape, and within this spring-like treasure lies a rich tapestry of ethnic cultures. Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture is one of only two Yi autonomous prefectures in China, and Yongren County has the highest proportion of Yi people in Chuxiong.
The mysterious and diverse Yi culture has a profound influence in the southwestern region. In addition to the Yi, Yongren is home to 23 other ethnic groups, including the Dai, Hui, and Lisu, echoing the region's mountainous terrain. Mountains, basins, river valleys—each colorful natural texture blooms in the patterns of Yi embroidery. Yongren's Yi embroidery is both unified in technique and diverse in style, truly embodying the saying: "Different embroidery every five miles, different colors every ten miles."
▲ Yi embroidery in Yongren County. Images 1 and 2 photographed by He Xinwen; Image 3 courtesy of Yongren County Committee Propaganda Department.
If you want to witness one of the world's oldest "fashion shows," don’t forget to visit Yongren! The stunning landscape is the Yi people’s ultimate "runway." Every year on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the grand "Saizhuang Festival" takes place in the small Yi village of Zhiju in Yongren County—a tradition that has been passed down for over 1,300 years.
▲ The lively Saizhuang Festival. Photo courtesy of Yongren County Committee Propaganda Department.
With its majestic landscapes, brilliant sunshine, and diverse ethnic cultures, Yongren is truly a gem at the border of Sichuan and Yunnan.
Where is the "Field of Hope" in the City of Sunshine?
As transportation routes gradually expanded, visionary individuals turned their attention to the vibrant lands of Yongren. This once isolated and backward small town has undergone earth-shaking changes.
▲ The highway from Yunnan to Sichuan passes through Yongren County. Photo by Yang Jirong
First, ethnic characteristics and cultural tourism have become Yongren’s calling card: Juxinketu Village on the Snow Mountain features layered terraced fields and winding village paths; Longtan Village in Yijiu Town boasts the tranquil beauty of small bridges and flowing streams; Waipula Village, a nationally recognized traditional village, preserves the ancient charm of an Yi ethnic settlement, along with a "village market" that keeps up with the current "internet-famous" trend.
▲ Under the bright sunshine, rice field paintings in Waipula Village, Yongren County. Photo by He Xinwen
Second, the unique local conditions have spurred industrial development: late-ripening mangoes, low-heat valley olives, early-ripening chestnuts… Various highland characteristic modern agricultural practices have emerged on Yongren’s land, becoming a profound nutrient for a colorful life.
Behind these achievements in poverty alleviation lies the unwavering efforts of China Merchants Bank over two decades. In 1999, the State Council Poverty Alleviation Leading Group designated Wuding and Yongren counties in Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, as fixed-point assistance counties for China Merchants Bank. Over the past 22 years, the bank has leveraged its strengths and adapted to the actual conditions of the two counties, continuously refining its "combination punch" of assistance. This has gradually formed a systematic support framework integrating educational, industrial, and cultural poverty alleviation, helping Yongren and Wuding achieve endogenous development and restoring their "blood-making" capacity while providing "blood transfusion."
▲ Pomegranates and沃柑 (a citrus fruit) produced in Yongren County. Courtesy of Yongren County Party Committee Propaganda Department
China Merchants Bank has explored an industrial poverty alleviation model of "internet + agricultural industrialization" in the region. Based on the high-quality agricultural products of the two counties, it has helped build brands such as "Sunshine City Pomegranates." Additionally, Yi ethnic embroidery文创 products were turned into "CMB blind bags" included with pomegranate gift boxes. This not only highlighted the pomegranate products and regional characteristics, upgrading the brand image, but also combined with support for cultural industries like Yi embroidery skill training, effectively helping about 1,300 Yi embroiderers in Yongren County achieve employment.
▲ Passing the torch. Courtesy of Yongren County Party Committee Propaganda Department
More importantly, it is the passing of the torch between people. China Merchants Bank has consistently invested human and material resources to support the local area over the years. Poverty alleviation cadre Zang Jinguang went deep into Yongren in early 1999, traversing 80% of the county’s villages and communities, dedicating himself wholeheartedly. He even sacrificed his precious life for the cause. One of the orphans he helped, Shan Jiwen, returned to his hometown 16 years later representing China Merchants Bank to continue the precise poverty alleviation work of his foster father Zang Jinguang. The spiritual lineage continues, living on unceasingly.
With the assistance of China Merchants Bank, Yongren County successfully shook off poverty and removed its poverty label in April 2019. The segment "Inheritance" from the poverty alleviation-themed film "My Second Hometown" was filmed here, telling the deeply moving story based on Zang Jinguang and his foster son. Zang Jinguang’s spirit will accompany China Merchants Bank’s poverty alleviation cadres, forever circulating on the passionate land of the great Southwest.
▲ Still from the short film "Inheritance," adapted from the story of China Merchants Bank poverty alleviation cadre Zang Jinguang and his foster son.
Nature has bestowed many gifts upon the mountains and rivers, but the hands of Yongren’s working people have turned the once dry, hot, and barren valleys into the City of Sunshine and the City of Sweet Fruits. With the help of China Merchants Bank, natural endowments and colorful local products have become "tools for poverty alleviation," allowing the mighty river of rural revitalization to flow ceaselessly across the land of the Southwest.
▲ The sunny future of rural revitalization in Yongren County. Photo by He Xinwen
Click "Wow" to experience the beauty of the City of Sunshine.