From overcoming poverty to embracing revitalization, Zhaotong City, nestled in the heart of the Wumeng Mountains, is undergoing a quiet transformation. As the prefecture-level city with the largest poverty-alleviated population in China, Zhaotong serves as a critical window to observe the effective integration of consolidating poverty alleviation achievements with rural revitalization.

With 10 key counties for rural revitalization, 1.8507 million people lifted out of poverty, and 61,300 households (258,500 individuals) under monitoring, Zhaotong remains resolute in preventing large-scale relapse into poverty while advancing comprehensive rural revitalization—a task both arduous and of immense responsibility.

Since the transition period began, Zhaotong has adhered to the philosophy that "consolidation drives development, and revitalization fosters progress." By focusing on "industry, urban development, and people," the city has strived to deliver high-quality outcomes. In 2023, Zhaotong recorded the highest GDP growth rate in Yunnan Province, and by 2024, its economic output surpassed RMB 200 billion a year ahead of schedule. For four consecutive years, it has ranked first in provincial assessments for consolidating poverty alleviation achievements.

Today, Zhaotong’s poverty alleviation results are more robust, green development principles are widely embraced, and the vision of rural revitalization is unfolding.

**Strengthening Monitoring and Support to Secure the Bottom Line** The scale of Zhaotong’s challenge is evident in its data: 1.8507 million people lifted out of poverty (a quarter of Yunnan’s total), making it China’s largest prefecture-level city by poverty-alleviated population. Additionally, 354,700 residents relocated under poverty alleviation programs—the highest in the province.

Take Long Qingquan, a relocated resident in Ludian County’s Maojiawan resettlement area. Due to caring for his ailing father, he couldn’t work outside and faced financial hardship, classified as a "red-light" case. Through community support—public welfare jobs, local employment referrals, and subsistence allowances—his family has now shifted to "green-light" status.

Zhaotong has identified 61,300 such households (258,500 individuals) for precise monitoring. By now, 54,700 households (239,400 individuals) have exited risk status—a 92.58% resolution rate, up 35.19 percentage points since 2021. The remaining 6,600 households (19,100 individuals), primarily affected by illness or disability, receive full support.

The city has established a dual-leadership system, with 37 municipal officials overseeing counties, towns, and villages, and 4,500 cadres paired with high-risk households. A 25,000-grid monitoring network tracks income drops, unstable employment, and sudden hardships. Innovations like "red-yellow-green" classification, tailored support plans, and poverty prevention insurance (RMB 160 million in payouts, preventing relapse for 55,000 households) underscore its proactive approach.

In September 2025, five municipal task forces launched targeted inspections on housing, education, healthcare, and water security, ensuring no issue is overlooked. Additionally, mechanisms for low-income rural populations and labor return contingencies are bolstered by policy insurance, public jobs, and local workshops, safeguarding against systemic risks. Currently, households with per capita incomes below RMB 10,000 have been dynamically cleared.

**Leveraging Resources to Bolster Industrial Growth** "Zhaotong apples now boast solid production foundations, advanced technology, diverse cultivation, premium quality, and strong sales—transitioning from small-scale to a major industry and brand," remarked Yang Yi, head of the China Apple Industry Association, at the 2025 China (Zhaotong) Apple Brand Conference.

A decade ago, Zhaotong’s apple industry was fragmented and vulnerable. Today, it thrives on high-end varieties like "Ruixue" and "Venus Gold," with extended harvests (July to November) and 30% higher yields. In 2024, Zhaotong apples even reached space aboard the Shenzhou-18 mission.

Apple sector upgrades exemplify Zhaotong’s "No. 1 Project" in agriculture. In 2024, nearly 1 million mu (66,667 hectares) of apples yielded 1.3 million tons, generating RMB 15 billion in output and lifting 527,000 people. Six plateau-specific agro-industries (apples, potatoes, gastrodia, etc.) hit RMB 150 billion in green output, propelling Zhaotong from traditional farming to modern agri-power.

Historically reliant on "electricity, tobacco, and coal," Zhaotong’s industrial transformation now focuses on green energy and advanced manufacturing. Wind farms (388.5 MW capacity) and solar arrays dot Yongshan County, while projects like Qibin Photovoltaic Glass, 700,000-ton hydropower aluminum, and 400,000-ton silicon alloys ignite growth. In 2024, non-ferrous metal processing surged 58.3%, contributing 3.5 percentage points to industrial growth. Five green industrial clusters (energy, silicon-aluminum, battery materials, etc.) exceeded RMB 300 billion in output, pivoting from "black-gray" to "blue-green" industries.

Tourism, once peripheral, now thrives on summer retreats for Sichuan-Chongqing visitors. Summer 2025 saw 10.2298 million tourists (53.037 million from outside Yunnan, up 22.93%), spending RMB 8.402 billion—a 19.37% YoY rise.

From agro-value addition to green manufacturing and eco-tourism, Zhaotong’s three-sector synergy drives cluster development. Over 440,000脱贫 households now benefit from cooperatives, averaging RMB 3,700 extra annual income.

**Boosting Incomes to Advance Rural Revitalization** As Yunnan’s labor-export hub, Zhaotong prioritizes employment for income stability. Balancing outbound and local jobs, it aligns labor traits with industrial and rural needs, deploying industrial parks, skills training, and asset revitalization.

In Zhenxiong County’s Yile Hardware Park, Wu Changbin, a former migrant worker in Zhejiang, now leads Luowangsi Doors, employing 300 locals. "Custom-built factories and clustered investments are game-changers," he notes. Drawing on 2.6 million migrant workers’ experience, Zhaotong attracts eastern industries, offering both outbound stability and local opportunities. Zhenxiong alone has repatriated 59,200 workers since 2021.

Labor-intensive projects like "employment-for-relief" (700+ projects since 2023, 94,400 jobs) further aid low-income groups. Zhao Shenfu, a father in Daguan County, earns RMB 350 daily at nearby sites, securing his children’s education.

Innovative "Party branch + collective economy + labor teams" models twin infrastructure with local jobs. In 2025, 461 such projects (RMB 4.37 billion) aim to employ 125,000 people, disbursing RMB 1.08 billion in wages.

The city also nurtures 25 labor brands (e.g., "Zhaotong Skewer Chefs," "Yanjin Cooks"), maintaining 86%+ rural employment rates. Small-scale investments have spawned 252 local workshops, drawing 100,000 returnees to start businesses and employ 268,000 locally.

As the Jinsha River surges and the Wumeng Mountains renew, Zhaotong strides forward—melding industry, urban growth, and people’s welfare to paint a vibrant future of rural revitalization and high-quality development.