In Sichuan's far south on the Jinsha (upper Yangtze) River, Panzhihua is a warm, sunny industrial city that has reinvented itself as a winter-sun and 'health retreat' destination among subtropical valleys.
History & culture
Built almost from scratch in the 1960s around vast iron and vanadium-titanium deposits, Panzhihua became a planned steel city, and more recently markets its mild, sunny winters to retirees and travelers.
What to see & do
- ◆Subtropical winter sunshine and warm valleys
- ◆Jinsha River canyon scenery
- ◆Erotic-rock and Yanbian county Yi villages
- ◆Hot springs and 'health tourism' resorts
- ◆Industrial-heritage steelworks viewpoints
What to eat
- ●Yanbian-style grilled fish
- ●Yi-minority sour-and-spicy dishes
- ●Fresh subtropical fruit
Getting there
Panzhihua has an airport and rail links; it's far south, closer to Yunnan, so allow real travel time from Chengdu.
Avoid the pitfalls
- It's remote from the rest of Sichuan — often combined with northern Yunnan instead.
- It's an industrial city; come for climate and valleys, not classic sights.
- Summers are hot in the low valleys.
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