Tengchong Booms with Residential Tourism, Blending Culture, Ecology and Daily Warmth

In Heshun Ancient Town of Tengchong, Yunnan, morning smoke rises from the century-old small food street. Vendors’ shouts and customers’ orders fill the air, as visitors immerse themselves in the local life and delicacies. Many travelers, instead of taking "special forces-style" tours, choose to slow down and enjoy the relaxation brought by residential tourism, with some planning to stay for half a year, attracted by the town’s convenience to scenic spots such as hot springs and volcanoes.

Known as the "First City on the Frontier" by Xu Xiake, Tengchong is also the southwest endpoint of the Hu Huanyong Line. Backed by the Gaoligong Mountains, it boasts 99 volcanoes and 88 hot springs, with an average annual temperature of about 15℃ and a forest coverage rate of around 77%. Its superior ecological endowment has laid a solid foundation for the booming health and residential tourism industry.

In recent years, Tengchong has issued relevant plans to promote the high-quality development of residential and hot spring health tourism, deepening the brand building of "Residential Tourism in Yunnan · Happy Tengchong" with rural residential tourism as the forerunner. It has also activated idle old houses and land through the "cooperative trusteeship + market-oriented operation" model, fully tapping rural residential tourism resources.

These measures have achieved remarkable results. In Dazhuang Village of Heshun Town, 48 houses have been revitalized to build a homestay cluster, directly driving more than 500 jobs. In Jiangdong Village, 51 homestays have been integrated to develop off-season products, receiving over 8,000 residential tourists and generating more than 6 million yuan in income. Mayu Valley Hot Spring Town now has more than 70 homestays, forming a virtuous cycle of "tourism turning into residential tourism and then into permanent settlement".

Mayu Valley Hot Spring Town, which retains the natural pastoral landscape to the greatest extent, has complete supporting facilities and aging-friendly renovations. It held more than 500 community activities in 2025, with free hot spring foot pools built beside bus stops for tourists from all over the country. Many people have purchased houses here to settle down, enjoying a fulfilling residential life with various social activities.

Data shows that by December 2025, Tengchong has attracted more than 48,000 off-city residents to purchase houses since 2012, with an average of about 78,000 people staying as residential tourists every day. Over 70% of villagers in Heshun Town are directly or indirectly engaged in the tourism industry, and more than 3,000 residential tourists have started businesses or found jobs there, mainly in accommodation, catering, cultural and creative industries.

Through policy guidance, resource activation and industrial innovation, Tengchong’s "residential tourism +" model has endowed rural areas with both cultural appeal and daily warmth. As tourists become residents, resources become assets and passers-by become family, Tengchong has gained solid momentum for rural revitalization.