Abstract: After decades of rapid economic growth, China has accumulated numerous ecological and environmental issues. In the current era of ecological civilization, there is an urgent need to transform the mindset from “conquering nature” to “harmonious coexistence between humans and nature”. The proposition that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” profoundly clarifies the dialectical relationship between economic development and environmental protection. As open-pit mining is a vital sector in China’s development, ecological restoration in this industry must properly balance economic progress and covering of dump sites, vegetation selection and matching, and construction of ecological restoration environmental conservation. To optimize research outcomes of ecological restoration in open-pit mining and improve remediation efficacy in alpine regions, Yimin Open-pit Mine was taken as a case, addressing the industry’s development demands and overcoming challenges including harsh climatic conditions and the scattered, extensive distribution of vegetation zones in open-pit coal mines. Systematic exploration, practice and summary were conducted on ecological restoration management initiatives and technical measures. By integrating management safeguards with technical support,Yimin Ecological Restoration Model has been developed, which implements the “Two Mountains Theory” and the principle of “Three Combinations”. The model follows three core strategies: advance deployment and systematic planning with comprehensive guarantees in design, policy guidance, funding, materials, personnel, equipment and technology; specialized promotion and technical control through measures like humus soil recycling, soil improvement, spoil heap slope cutting and covering, vegetation screening and collocation, and demonstration zone construction; continuous improvement and adaptation to local conditions via bio-environment construction, quality upgrading and refined management of wetland areas, revegetated spoil heaps, core restoration zones and vegetation irrigation zones. The model not only significantly raises the ecological restoration rate of the mine but also achieves the vision of “mining without visible traces, with mines hidden in scenic beauty”. It provides a replicable and promotable Yimin paradigm for ecological restoration in open-pit mines.