CHENGDU, China, December 16, 2025 — On December 9, at the 2025 Happy Cities Forum hosted by Oriental Outlook, Panzhihua City in Sichuan Province, China, was once again awarded the title of “China’s Happiest City (Prefecture-level City)”. This marks the fifth consecutive year Panzhihua has earned this honor. Over more than six decades, Panzhihua has crafted a unique happiness code, shaping a city spirit defined by “perseverance, innovation, sunshine, and inclusiveness”. It has also fostered a shared belief: “Arriving in Panzhihua means becoming a Panzhihua local.”
As a steel-founded industrial city, Panzhihua once struggled with the challenge of balancing ecological protection and economic growth. Today, it has delivered a strong answer, set against the vivid, distinctive hues of “Panzhihua Blue” and “Panzhihua Green”.
Behind this achievement, Panzhihua has ramped up efforts in the three key battles for blue skies, clear waters, and clean land. Through green industrial upgrades and resource recycling, the city has achieved harmonious coexistence between its industrial heritage and ecological foundation.
The former Majiatian Tailings Pond of Pangang Group, which served for half a century, has completed ecological restoration and been transformed into the Ashuda Four-Season Flower Sea, spanning over 1,000 mu.
The main urban area has laid out a livable blueprint with its “Mountains, Lakes, and Rivers” layout: Donghuashan Mountain Sports Park acts as the city’s green heart, Yinjianghu Park connects an 11.8-kilometer waterfront corridor, 17 “pocket parks” let residents enjoy greenery right at their doorstep, and a 30-kilometer floral landscape avenue stays in bloom year-round.
Nature’s gifts further endow this ecological well-being with unique traits. Panzhihua boasts a favorable climate—”no bitter cold in winter, no scorching heat in summer”. Blessed with abundant sunshine, pleasant temperatures, and moderate humidity, it has become a top destination for escaping heat, cold, and air pollution.
Fresh fruits are in season year-round in Panzhihua—strawberries in January, cherries in March, mangoes in June, and pomegranates in October—ensuring residents and visitors are wrapped in a constant sense of sweetness. Meanwhile, Bombax ceiba (Panzhihua), flame trees, and jacarandas bloom in succession, making the city truly live up to its name as the “City of Flowers”.
In 2010, Panzhihua pioneered the “health and wellness” concept, which has since grown into a robust development model where the health and wellness industry and other sectors mutually empower each other for shared growth. This transformation has effectively turned ecological dividends into tangible livelihood benefits.
By pursuing industrial upgrading while safeguarding basic livelihood needs, Panzhihua ensures the fruits of development are shared by all. While building industrial clusters and strengthening supply chains in traditional优势 industries like vanadium-titanium new materials and advanced steel manufacturing, the city is also actively exploring new development tracks, including hydrogen energy, vanadium energy storage, and the low-altitude economy.
Social security and livelihood support are constantly improved, making the blueprint for shared prosperity increasingly visible to everyone. In addition to launching a “child-rearing subsidy”, Panzhihua has introduced “childcare subsidy vouchers”, building a comprehensive fertility-friendly system.
Panzhihua has also broken down household registration barriers, achieving full coverage of basic public services for permanent residents. Rural residents now have access to education and healthcare resources of the same quality as those in urban areas.
To enhance residents’ sense of security and belonging, Panzhihua has established a four-level (city, county, township, village) “one-stop” platform for diversified dispute resolution. The city consistently ranks among the top tier in Sichuan Province for residents’ satisfaction with public safety.
Source: Oriental Outlook
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