Outlook | The Dialectical Transformation of Liupanshui

Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, Liupanshui has broken free from resource dependency, fully leveraging its mineral resources, unique climate, and excellent ecology to continuously enhance its reputation as the “Jiangnan Coal Capital,” “China’s Cool Capital,” and “Eco Green Capital” (“Three Capitals”).

Data shows that overnight tourists in Liupanshui increased from 4.2827 million in 2021 to 6.1439 million in 2024.

Text | Reporters Pan Dexin and Xiao Yan from Outlook Weekly

Located in the heart of the Wumeng Mountains, Guizhou’s Liupanshui is an old industrial city born and thriving because of coal. Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, Liupanshui has supplied 129 million tons of thermal coal, with a total installed power capacity of 16.7263 million kilowatts, generating over 240 billion kWh of electricity, strongly supporting the province and city’s power needs and the “West-to-East Power Transmission,” contributing to energy security.

Like many other old industrial cities nationwide, Liupanshui has faced resource dependence bottlenecks and transformation pains. In August 2019, it was designated as a city for the second batch of national industrial transformation and upgrading demonstration zones, marking a key opportunity for development. Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, Liupanshui has stepped out of resource reliance, leveraging its mineral resources, climate, and ecological advantages to continuously refine its branding as the “Jiangnan Coal Capital,” “China’s Cool Capital,” and “Eco Green Capital.” Through dialectical thinking of “breaking and establishing,” “taking and giving up,” and “guarding and creating,” it has gradually identified key pathways to solve the transformation challenges of resource-based cities.

Tourists experience low-altitude gliding along the Zangke River in Liupanshui’s Liuzhi Special District (Photo taken July 9, 2025) Tao Liang / This publication

Revitalizing Traditional Industries

Recently, Outlook Weekly reporters visited the “Guizhou Meijin Coal-Coke-Hydrogen Comprehensive Utilization Demonstration Project” located in Liupanshui’s Liuzhi Economic Development Zone (hereafter “Liuzhi Economic Development Zone”). The site features numerous factory buildings and blast furnaces, where intelligent equipment and processes operate in coordination. Black coal is processed into dozens of by-products such as coke, crude benzene, and carbon black, maximizing resource utilization and promoting upstream and downstream industry synergy.

“Jiangnan lacks coal, but Guizhou is rich in it,” said that over one-third of Guizhou’s coal is in Liupanshui, which is thus known as the “Jiangnan Coal Capital.” The coal reserves here include a prospective reserve of 84.4 billion tons, proven reserves of 24.16 billion tons, and remaining reserves of 23.019 billion tons, making it the largest main coking coal base south of the Yangtze River.

Historically, this area produced Guizhou’s first modern coal mine and first million-ton coal mine, laying the foundation for Guizhou’s industrial development. It also formed a single-industry pattern dependent on coal mining and sales.

In the process of transformation, a consensus has emerged: “based on coal, strengthen coal, but not rely solely on coal.” The core logic is to break out of the low-end trap of “selling raw materials” and shift toward “deep processing” and “high added value.” Zhang Dingchao, a National People’s Congress representative and Secretary of Liupanshui, explained that in recent years, the local government has focused on the characteristics of main coking coal resources, clarifying a deep processing industrial cycle centered on coal coking, and is striving to build a billion-yuan modern coal chemical industry cluster.

“Previously, we just mined and sold coal directly. Now, we extract every bit,” said a responsible person from Liuzhi Economic Development Zone. Extending the coal industry chain not only increases the added value of coal but also attracts downstream supporting enterprises, increases tax revenue, and boosts employment.

“Striving to build a modern industrial system that matches the times, features Liupanshui, and holds a special position in the province’s industrial landscape,” said Li Wei, Deputy Secretary of the Liupanshui Municipal Committee and Mayor. Relying on its high reserves of coking coal, Liupanshui is transforming coal from a fuel into raw materials and then into materials, choosing an integrated development path of “coal—coke—electricity—gas—chemicals.” It has outlined development routes for industries such as coal, coal power, and coal chemicals, including “production—washing—transport—distribution—sales,” and the multi-energy complementary development of wind, solar, hydro, and thermal power, as well as source-grid-load-storage integration, creating multiple new deep-processing routes for coal chemicals.

This shift in thinking has broadened horizons. During the 14th Five-Year period, Liupanshui’s coal, coke, aluminum electrolysis, and power generation all reached historic highs. Industrial added value increased from 49.675 billion yuan to 73.37 billion yuan, accounting for 38.1% of the regional GDP (up from 35.9%). Its contribution to regional growth rose from 22.32% to 52.8%, effectively revitalizing traditional industries.

On the path of traditional industry upgrading, this old industrial city has also begun new practices: the world’s first commercial ultra-supercritical CO₂ power generator “Super Carbon No. 1” was commissioned at Shougang Shuigang Group; the nation’s first commercial hydrogen-powered locomotive entered trial operation in Liuzhi; the southwest’s first ultra-supercritical reheat thermal power plant was completed in Panzhou; and the region’s first large-scale intelligent coal storage and distribution base was built and put into operation in Shuicheng District.

Turning “Cool” Resources into “Hot” Industries

Music and fireworks light up the snowfield; red lanterns reflect on fairy-tale wooden houses covered in snow; the aroma of Northeast iron pot stews blends with Guizhou-style taro cakes—entering the ski season, a snow-country dream at 26° north latitude begins at Meihua Mountain International Ski Resort in Liupanshui.

Fan Ping, deputy general manager of Meihua Mountain Tourism Scenic Area, said, “During the Spring Festival, the park arranges two to three hundred performances daily. During the peak days from the second to fifth days of the lunar new year, daily visitors reach about 10,000.”

Liupanshui is located in the eastern part of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, north of the Tropic of Cancer. Despite its low latitude, its high altitude gives it a unique climate: summer average temperatures around 19°C, earning it the nickname “China’s Cool Capital,” with continuous influxes of summer tourists; in winter, places like Meihua Mountain are famous for their cold and frozen conditions.

This natural gift is being innovatively utilized. Liupanshui is adopting new resource utilization concepts, using its cool climate and ice and snow to upgrade tourism, continuously enhancing its core competitiveness and better meeting tourists’ diverse needs.

On one hand, focusing on coolness to develop summer tourism. It has built one national-level holiday resort, nine provincial-level resorts, and thirteen 4A-rated scenic spots; launched activities like “Yi Torch Festival” and marathon seasons; successfully hosted the “China Cool Capital - Liupanshui Summer Escape” series, integrating multiple tourism formats, with vibrant events and a booming summer tourism market.

On the other hand, leveraging ice and snow to upgrade winter health tourism. Relying on its unique climate and geography, it has built three high-altitude ski resorts: Yushe Snow Mountain, Meihua Mountain International Ski Resort, and Wumeng Ski Resort; created six hot springs including Bai Che He, Luo Bie Long Jing, and Sheng Jing; forming a winter tourism and leisure product system centered on “skiing + hot springs,” actively transforming “cold resources” into “hot economy.”

This year, Yushe Ski Resort underwent a comprehensive upgrade, with online pre-sale revenue exceeding 20 million yuan, and a significant increase in out-of-town visitors. “As an outdoor ski resort, it offers diverse scenery and activities like hot spring bathing, horseback riding, and archery, enabling many combined tourism experiences,” said Hu Chenyi, deputy general manager of Guizhou Shuicheng Cultural Tourism Group.

Liupanshui, with skiing as a feature, folk customs as highlights, and multiple formats linked, allows visitors to experience the city’s charm between activity and tranquility. During the Spring Festival holiday, the unique combination of “skiing + folk customs + hot springs” attracted 269,920 overnight visitors, with daily growth of 10.11%, making it a popular destination for cultural and tourism activities in Southwest China.

Zhang Dingchao noted that thanks to the appeal of “China’s Cool Capital” and the rising “migratory bird” health and retirement model, Liupanshui’s tourism and retirement city development has accelerated. From 2021 to 2024, the proportion of non-local residents purchasing property in Liupanshui steadily increased, transforming from “tourism” to “residence,” and the “Health and Retirement in Cool Capital” brand is gradually gaining recognition, achieving a qualitative shift from “traffic” to “retention.”

From attracting visitors with climate to retaining them with climate, the city extends tourism enthusiasm with warm-hearted service. Data shows that overnight tourists increased from 4.2827 million in 2021 to 6.1439 million in 2024; per capita tourist expenditure rose from 897.13 yuan to 1029.75 yuan; the added value of tourism and related industries as a share of GDP increased from 4.9% to 5.3%, making cultural tourism an important growth engine for Liupanshui’s transformation.

Enhancing “Green” Development

Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, Liupanshui has focused on ecological restoration and green industries, with the “green content” of its development increasing year by year. Today, it is a national forest city with a forest coverage rate of about 62%, an average of 20,000 negative oxygen ions per cubic centimeter of air, and a 99.6% excellent air quality rate in the city center. Its ecological brand as the “Eco Green Capital” shines brighter.

As a national demonstration base for comprehensive utilization of bulk solid waste, Liupanshui annually consumes over 8 million tons of coal gangue and fly ash, transforming some into building bricks, filling and land reclamation, and roadbed materials—truly turning waste into new resources.

About 10% of the coal slime from raw coal, due to low calorific value and low economic value, was previously unsellable and stored in piles, causing environmental issues like black water runoff and dust pollution, increasing operational costs and environmental risks.

After more than ten years of technological research, Guizhou Changneng Tian’an Industrial Co., Ltd., in cooperation with Central South University, developed a full-resource recycling technology for low-calorific coal, which was put into production in 2024 in Pankou Economic Development Zone. “Coal slime is not waste; it’s a resource misplaced,” said Zhu Renfeng, the company’s head. “Three tons of coal slime can produce one ton of refined coal and two tons of tailings. The cost of three tons is less than 700 yuan, while one ton of refined coal sells for about 1,400 yuan. The tailings can be used in building materials or directly for filling.”

In January, the No. 1 unit of the China Power Construction Pannan 2×660MW low-calorific coal power project achieved grid connection. It is the first key power project completed and put into operation during Guizhou’s 14th Five-Year Plan, with plans to connect the second unit by April.

“These power units mainly burn ‘coarse grains’—low-calorific coal like coal slime and gangue, with a blending ratio of 70%. After both units are operational, annual consumption of low-calorific coal will exceed 3.6 million tons,” said Wang Yinlong, general manager of China Power Construction Panzhou Low-Calorific Coal Power Co., Ltd.

Since the 14th Five-Year Plan, Liupanshui has adhered to principles of complete procedures, advanced processes, strict environmental standards, and a complete chain. Newly built thermal power and coking projects meet industry-leading standards; 17 coal power units have undergone energy-saving and carbon-reduction upgrades; breakthroughs have been made in comprehensive utilization of gangue; and green, low-carbon industrial transformation has accelerated. Additionally, the city’s characteristic industries—such as kiwifruit, prickly pear, and tea—cover nearly 4 million acres, with forest stock volume reaching 20.5 million cubic meters and over 60% of wetlands protected.

Zhang Dingchao stated that during the 15th Five-Year period, Liupanshui will deepen its strategy of strengthening comparative advantages, continue to enhance its “Jiangnan Coal Capital” brand to attract “wealth,” and steadfastly pursue the resource-based city transformation and upgrading; further develop its “China’s Cool Capital” brand to attract “popularity,” and promote common prosperity in the western underdeveloped areas; and keep building its “Eco Green Capital” reputation, following the path of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature in karst regions, writing a new chapter for the old industrial city’s transformation.■