Sunny Winter Escape

by Huang Weishou

Warm rays of sunlight are an unexpected luxury in winter – even more so in Chengdu， the provincial seat of Sichuan， at the bottom of Sichuan Basin. By that measure， however， residents of the Panxi （Panzhihua-Xichang） region， 500 kilometers southwest of Chengdu， enjoy the high life. While the final throes of winter linger elsewhere， the people of Panxi are already enjoying the aroma of spring flowers.

Sun and the Moon

Panxi averages over 300 sunny days a year thanks to tropical monsoons from South Asia. It is mild and bright during most of the winter， with an average annual temperature of 24 degrees Celsius. I was told that Panxis most valuable resource is its sunlight， so it was an easy choice for a winter getaway.

After a six-hour drive， I arrived in Xichang， a small city famous for rocket launches and moonlight. The warm sun- light felt so pleasant that I could taste spring. All around I saw the town branded“The City of Spring.”

“The best choice for a vacation is Qionghai Lake，” suggested a friend. “It features the warmest sunlight and the gentlest moonlight.” The lakes beautiful scenery was even described by Marco Polo in his 13th-Century travel notes.

Qionghai is the second largest freshwater lake in Sichuan. Countless delicacies are harvested from its waters， my favorite of which is drunk shrimp. The freshwater shrimp are dunked live into a jar full of chili， pepper， garlic， ginger， vinegar， and liquor. At first， they jump up and down， but they slow down when they get drunk. Then， its time to serve.

Named After a Flower

The sunlight in Panzhihua is even stronger. Panzhihua is also notable as the only city in the country to be named after a flower： “bombax” in English， or silk cotton. The flower grows on tall and strong trees， with blood-red petals. From a distance， they seem to flicker like torches. Even though the chills of winter hadnt disappeared completely， the trees added to the warmth.

Prior to my departure from Xichang， I met a tour guide who recommended I stay at Holiday Inn Hongge Hot Spring Resort 30 kilometers from downtown Panzhihua， where visitors can enjoy sunlight during the day and soak in a hot spring at night –comprehensive warmth indeed.

His advice was right on. The hot spring at Hongge contains more than 60 different minerals， which effectively treat conditions such as arteriosclerosis， circulatory problems， rheumatism， and arthritis. My fatigue seemed to melt away in the hot spring as every cell in my body thawed and awoke.

Sunshine and hot springs arent the only attractions. At the foot of the mountain， on Panzhihuas bank of the Yalong River， is a massive hydroelectric power plant named Ertan， one of Chinas major energy projects. Towering 240 meters， it sublimely complements the natural sur- roundings along with a large reservoir and man-made island.

After spending the night in the Ertan scenic area， I set off to my final destination， Gesala， which means “paradise for coexistence of man and nature” in the local language， Yi. The Yi people， humble and hospitable， inhabit a virgin forest and vast expansion of grasslands.

The temperature drops dramatically at night because of the elevation. The setting sun takes the warmth away with it. While gazing at the stars， I couldnt avoid a huge grin. My “sunlight trip” over only a few days provided enough memories to keep me warm through the next cold winter.