On Oct. 11, representatives of 20 overseas Chinese-language media outlets taking part in the “Overseas Chinese Media Tour of Sichuan” arrived at Guergou Township in Li County, Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Ringed by mountains, with clear springs flowing all year round, this plateau environment unique to the highlands has nurtured for the area a rare and high-quality mineral water resource. The company turning that natural endowment into an industrial fulcrum is Sichuan Chuanfa Kangyuan Water Industry Co., Ltd., rooted in the locality. Entering the premium drinking water sector as a state-owned enterprise fulfilling its responsibilities, the company is driving the close integration of “hot springs, the water industry and cultural tourism” so that each reinforces the others, injecting a steady stream of new momentum into the upgrading of Li County’s distinctive industries and into high-quality rural revitalization.
Founded in July 2024 with registered capital of 30 million yuan, the company is both a flagship state-controlled enterprise cultivated with priority by Li County and the core demonstration project of the county’s three-sector integration of “hot springs, the water industry and cultural tourism.” Drawing on Guergou’s ecological endowment, it has linked the research, production and sale of high-quality packaged drinking water into a complete industrial chain; supported by its experience in standardized, well-regulated and quality-driven operation as a state-owned enterprise, it is steadily advancing toward a premium mountain spring water brand that is rooted in Aba, radiates across Sichuan and looks to the whole country.
The Guergou Shenfeng Mountain Spring water the company features draws from the Guergou Shenfeng hot spring water source area, known as “fairy mountain and jade pool, spiritual water and divine spring.” Its rarity lies in the water quality: it is at once a lightly mineralized, thermal silica-type medicinal and health hot mineral spring, and a metasilicic acid-type natural high-quality drinking mineral water, naturally containing 17 beneficial trace elements needed by the human body, including strontium, fluorine, zinc, boron and germanium. In Sichuan, natural thermal mineral springs that can be used simultaneously for bathing, drinking and therapy are few and far between; Guergou’s hot spring water has been renowned for a thousand years, was rated a “quality famous spring of Sichuan Province” as early as 1994, and local people have for generations called it the “mountain divine water” that nourishes body and mind.
Good water is the foundation. Guided by the production philosophy of “natural, healthy, safe and high-quality,” Chuanfa Kangyuan Water Industry has introduced advanced fully automated filling lines, bringing production toward scale, standardization and intelligent operation. Checks are set at all four stages — water source selection, water purification, aseptic filling and dispatch of finished goods — and the quality inspection system covers the entire process, all to preserve as far as possible the clear, sweet, native taste and natural nutrition of the spring water; bottled and barreled drinking water products thus have solid grounds for being safe, healthy and of high quality, and good water from the plateau can reach millions of households.
Beyond production, green is another keyword. The company regards “ecology first, green development” as a bottom line that cannot be conceded, and environmental requirements run through the whole production process — wastewater must undergo specialized, refined treatment and be discharged in compliance with standards. Operation and protection advance side by side, so the fine ecology of Li County’s high mountain valleys is preserved as completely as possible, and sustainable regional development is underpinned by green production.
As a key locally state-controlled enterprise, Chuanfa Kangyuan Water Industry polishes product quality and cultivates its brand while shouldering the social responsibilities of a state-owned enterprise and integrating deeply into the overall development of the locality. With the water industry as a link, the company connects with Guergou’s hot spring health and wellness resources and its mountain tourism resources, steadily improving the “water industry plus cultural tourism” model, filling gaps in local distinctive industries and widening room for industrial value-added growth. The changes brought by industrial clustering are becoming visible: more jobs, broader channels for local people to raise their incomes, and sustained support for building Guergou into a world-class hot spring health and wellness town — giving Li County a firmer industrial footing for the transformation and upgrading of its distinctive industries, the high-quality development of the regional economy and the all-round revitalization of the countryside.
As for the next step, Sichuan Chuanfa Kangyuan Water Industry Co., Ltd. says the value of Guergou’s high-quality water resources will be further tapped: production processes will be optimized, the product range upgraded, market channels broadened, and the brand name of plateau mountain spring water polished further. At the same time, the integration of agriculture, culture and tourism with the water industry will continue to deepen, with the strength of a state-owned enterprise helping local industries improve quality and efficiency, ecological protection keep improving and people’s well-being keep rising, so that Li County advances more steadily along a path of high-quality development with a beautiful environment, thriving industries and a prosperous people.