Sai Dian is the first governor in Yunnan history, the first governor of ethnic minorities, a governor who has done something and loved the people, and a rare honest official.
After the Yuan army occupied Yunnan, the rule was not smooth and there were many contradictions. Kublai Khan felt that "improper responsibility made people far away uneasy", so he chose Saidian, which he thought was "sincere", to enter Yunnan. After being appointed, Sai Dianchi carefully studied the geography and people's feelings in Yunnan, gained the trust of the Mongolian king before entering Yunnan, solved the contradiction between the Mongolian royal family and administrative officials, and realized the unification of government decrees. Then, according to the different situations in different places, the powerful local separatist forces were organized into effective administrative regions such as Dao, Zhou and Zhou, and the chaotic situation was greatly improved through the combination of nobles of all ethnic groups and officials appointed by the DPRK. In A.D. 1276, Sai Dianchi moved the provincial capital from Dali to Kunming, and Kunming has since become the capital of Yunnan. The initial results of governance, the formulation of reasonable taxes and the promotion of production development are the fundamental conditions for social stability. Saidianchi did not pay attention to taxes, and stipulated that taxes could be paid by cattle, horses, money, etc. According to the convenience of various places, people's villages were established by using the ownerless wasteland, trying to change the original chaotic situation.
In terms of cultural construction, Saidian accumulated education, set up Confucius Temple, bought books, welcomed Sichuan teachers, and spared no effort to spread advanced culture. Improving ethnic relations is the basis of good governance in Yunnan. Saidianchi Lake adopts the policy of joint utilization as much as possible and has made great achievements in "attacking the heart". "All foreigners are worried about the situation and the society is becoming more and more stable."
The greatest achievement of Saidianchi Lake in governing Kunming is to preside over the construction of water conservancy projects. First of all, clear the flood in Dianchi Lake basin, dredge the river, set up dams to save water and divert flood. At present, the most important Songhuaba reservoir dam in the upper reaches of Kunming is started in Saidianchi. In addition, the Jinzhi River and Yinzhi River dug during the reorganization of Dali were diverted for irrigation, thus controlling the flood. In the lower reaches of Dianchi Lake, after the sediment and gravel at the outlet are removed, the river course is regulated, so that Dianchi Lake water can flow into Jinsha River smoothly and the city can be prevented from being flooded. At the same time, "more than 10 thousand hectares of soil are fertile fields." Today, the land around Liangjiahe is fertile and the water is still flowing. After the completion of this grand project, which lasted for three years and used more than 2,000 migrant workers, Dianchi Lake was surrounded by a rich scene, directly competing with the land of plenty in the south of the Yangtze River. According to historical records, at that time, it was said that cattle and horses swarmed, dogs also ate meat, and fish and shrimp could make fertile land. When Saidianchi died, Kunming, old and young, cried for several days and was named "King of Xianyang" as a long ceremony. Today, people still praise his achievements with poems and songs, and now there is a loyalty square on the corner of the city to commemorate him.