As extreme heatwaves scorch much of the world, a city in southwest China’s Guizhou Province offers rare respite, with Liupanshui averaging a cool 19 degrees Celsius in summer.
With its summer climate characterized by being cool, comfortable, moist, and fresh, Liupanshui City was awarded the title of China's cool capital by the Chinese Meteorological Society. Leveraging this unique climatic advantage, local authorities have been actively developing a multi-integrated cultural, sports, and tourism ecosystem to cater to the summer travel needs of all age groups.
In the city's characteristic Yi ethnic town, guesthouses and farmhouse inns are now nearly fully booked by long-stay tourists from various parts of China seeking refuge from the summer heat. Booking data indicates that many visitors plan to stay for over a month and a half.
"We've been here for five days and feel it's really great. It's cool, and that's exactly why we came to Liupanshui," said Fang Shuishan, a tourist from east China's Zhejiang Province. Nestled in the heart of the Wumeng Mountain Range, Liupanshui has a forest coverage rate of 62 percent. In recent years, it has become a top destination for summer retreats. Since the start of the summer season, the city has received 7.4605 million visitors, marking an 8.35 percent year-on-year increase.
As the midsummer heat peaks, Liupanshui has launched its summer road-running cultural and tourism season. The event series includes 16 activities ranging from professional athletic competitions to mass-participation runs and family-oriented parent-child races. A single marathon race alone attracted 124,200 runners and tourists, generating 117 million yuan (about 17 million U.S. dollars) in tourism spending.
"Since Liupanshui is on a sub-plateau, it helps improve our running performance, and the temperature is also quite cool," said Li Qiaoling, a marathon runner from neighboring Sichuan Province.
For those seeking more adrenaline, the Yuezhao Health Valley in Zhongshan District offers a unique challenge. Taking advantage of its distinctive karst landforms, it has developed over 300 climbing routes across various difficulty levels, drawing climbing enthusiasts from both China and abroad.
"I really like climbing. It's a fun and interesting sport. It's cool in Liupanshui. For climbing, the temperature here is very comfortable," said an Australian climbing enthusiast.
A diversified and segmented cultural tourism industry is taking shape to cater to different needs in Liupanshui. While middle-aged and elderly visitors enjoy leisurely summer stays, young people take on climbing and hiking, and families participate in runs and rafting. The city continues to enrich its tourism offerings, transforming a brief stopover into a long-stay experience.
"Our goal is not just to let tourists escape the summer heat for a few days, but to make them willing to stay and deeply experience a colorful life for half a month or even longer," said Chen Tao, director of the Liupanshui Cultural Tourism Development Center.
Data shows that the number of overnight visitors to Liupanshui has grown from approximately 4.28 million in 2021 to over 6.51 million now, representing an average annual growth rate of more than 11 percent.
China's "cool capital" provides perfect respite from summer heat
