As early autumn sunlight spills across Tublinsumu in Horqin Left Wing Middle Banner, Tongliao, a vast expanse of photovoltaic panels stretches out like a blue ocean, with lush vegetation and wildflowers swaying beneath the arrays. This once windswept, barren saline-alkali wasteland has now transformed into what local farmers and herders affectionately call a "sunshine savings account" — through the development of centralized and village-level solar assistance power stations, the banner has added nearly 68,000 kilowatts of photovoltaic capacity, boosting collective income for 300 Gacha villages, with benefits expected to flow steadily for over 25 years.
The transformation of Tublinsumu is just one glimpse of Tongliao's broader success in photovoltaic assistance. Leveraging its abundant solar resources, the city has deeply integrated the photovoltaic industry with efforts to consolidate poverty alleviation achievements and comprehensively promote rural revitalization. Since the 13th Five-Year Plan period, a total of 182 solar assistance power stations of various types have been built, with a combined installed capacity of approximately 400,000 kilowatts, covering five banners and counties. At the same time, tailored management measures for photovoltaic assistance income have been introduced, establishing a fully closed-loop mechanism covering income disbursement, village-level distribution, and standardized use, ensuring that every cent of "sunshine revenue" is precisely allocated, used exclusively for designated purposes, and benefits the people. This has gradually built a comprehensive, well-regulated, and stable photovoltaic assistance system.
Turning "idle light" into "public benefit" starts with safeguarding the bottom line of people's livelihoods. The power station assets are owned by village collectives, and the steady photovoltaic income provides long-term funding sources for each village, effectively supporting public welfare job subsidies, assistance for vulnerable groups, village-level public welfare projects, and the growth of the collective economy. This has charted a sustainable path where photovoltaic assistance empowers rural revitalization. To date, village-level photovoltaic assistance across the city has generated cumulative income of 526 million yuan, assisting over 20,000 households and creating 12,000 public welfare positions, consistently driving stable income growth for households lifted out of poverty and monitored groups.
From basic security to industrial empowerment, this "sunshine revenue" is now playing an even greater role. Tongliao uses the income as a lever to deepen the integration of targeted assistance, industrial cultivation, and ecological governance. Naiman Banner has pioneered a "photovoltaic income + diversified income growth" model, allocating funds from the income to provide incentives and subsidies for beef cattle and sheep farming as well as courtyard economies, using rewards to spur industrial development. On August 21, in Yamenyingzi Village, Baxiantong Town, Naiman Banner, Yao Jinhai, a 67-year-old household that has shaken off poverty, was watering and fertilizing red chili peppers in his small courtyard, where the pepper fruits were turning from green to red and bending the branches. "In another month, this acre of red chilies will be ready for harvest," he said. Thanks to the photovoltaic subsidies and courtyard economy incentives distributed by the banner, Yao Jinhai has put his courtyard to productive use growing red chilies, earning an additional 7,000 yuan last year.
"Photovoltaic subsidies cover the basics, and courtyard incentives boost momentum," said Zhao Haihong, the village's Party branch secretary. The village has 17 vulnerable households, each receiving 3,000 yuan in photovoltaic subsidies, while 129 households are supported to participate in the courtyard economy, turning the small spaces around homes into real sources of income for residents. In 2026, with funding from photovoltaic assistance projects, the village also purchased loaders and waste removal equipment, noticeably improving the village's appearance.
Across the city, various regions are exploring "photovoltaic+" integrated development paths tailored to local conditions, allowing the "sunshine savings account" to yield multiple benefits. Horqin Left Wing Rear Banner has combined photovoltaic projects with the "Three-North" shelterbelt program, rehabilitating over 1,000 mu of desertified land after completion, with alfalfa planted beneath the panels to achieve a win-win of "green advancing, sand retreating" and economic returns. Horqin Left Wing Middle Banner has built comprehensive smart energy projects on idle and abandoned land, realizing "agrivoltaic" and "pastoral-solar" complementarity. Hure Banner has integrated photovoltaics with green electricity transportation, clean heating, grid upgrades, and ecological governance, injecting green momentum into village collective economies.
From sandy wastelands to rural farmyards, Tongliao is turning "light" into "gold," using the "sunshine industry" to light the way toward rural prosperity and injecting a steady stream of green energy into the efforts to consolidate poverty alleviation achievements and comprehensively advance rural revitalization.