The club predominantly played within the lower leagues until they were sold to the Yunnan Hongta Group, a tobacco producer who renamed the team Yunnan Hongta and moved the club to Kunming to play in the Tuodong Stadium.

In the following year, Shenzhen Kinspar lost the bid to the championship and sold the club to Yunnan Hongta Group, a tobacco producer.

First, Qi Wusheng, who failed to lead China to qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup was introduced in 1999.

After ranked the seventh in the following year, the Yunnan Hongta Group lost the patience for the national title and sold the team to the relegated Chongqing Lifan.

Without the huge investment from the Yunnan Hongta Group, the new team end with the last spot in two years.