Grassroots games boost tourism, culture, improving livelihood

Morning descends on Rongjiang County, Southwest China's Guizhou Province, with mist drifting lazily among the mountains, wrapping the county in a serene embrace. But by nightfall, the vibrant Cun Chao, or the Village Super League (VSL), takes over the county: the 2025-26 Guizhou VSL season kicked off on Saturday across nine cities and prefectures in the province, with Rongjiang serving as the main venue.

During the tournament, except for the thrilling games, a "Guizhou Show" cultural performance will be held 30 minutes before each game and for 20 minutes during halftime, featuring traditional intangible cultural heritage and ethnic performances.

As the VSL heats up in Guizhou, grassroots tournaments across the country are also thriving. From the well-known "Su Super League" in Jiangsu Province to the "Xiang Super League" in Hunan Province and the "Chuan Super League" in Sichuan Province, multiple local football games can be found taking place nationwide now.

These community-driven events not only ignite public enthusiasm for sports but also serve as new platforms to showcase local culture and boost regional tourism, Bu Xiting, an associate researcher at the School of Cultural Industries Management at the Communication University of China, told the Global Times.

From grassroots up

Cun Chao in Guizhou is a village football tournament organized and played by local residents themselves. Since its kick-off on May 13, 2023, the event has become a phenomenon cultural and tourism IP in China.

Rongjiang's Cunchao, one of the most representative of its kind, has achieved explosive popularity. Behind this success lies the long, challenging journey of the small county.

Just a few months ago, a massive flood swept through Rongjiang County, bringing daily life to a near standstill.

Xu Bo, Party chief of Rongjiang County, shared with the Global Times that after the floodwaters receded, the residents did not wait for help - they spontaneously formed "broom teams," "meal teams," and "tricycle teams," working alongside more than 200 rescue units from across the country to clean up the town.

The reconstruction of Rongjiang could not have happened without the local people's love for Cun Chao.

"It took us seven hours to clear the main roads, seven days to restore water, electricity, and transportation, and 12 days to complete the major de-silt operation. One month later, Cun Chao was back in action," Xu told the Global Times.

"Rongjiang was once a deeply impoverished county," Xu said. "I believe that development depends on the people, the people depend on mobilization, mobilization depends on activities, and activities depend on driving engagement."

Guided by this principle, Xu envisions Cun Chao as more than a tournament, as he has a clear vision for building Cun Chao as a distinctive IP: "While many places treat viral fame as the goal, Rongjiang treats it as a method. We aim to make Cun Chao a lasting brand. Viral trends are fleeting, but a brand can endure."

He emphasized that preparing, participating in, and promoting Cun Chao has brought the entire community together: Some manage the football fields, others host visitors, and some run local restaurants and guesthouses. Through the shared effort, the residents gain a sense of pride while seeing tangible opportunities for their hometown's development.

According to Xu, over three years of thriving tournaments, Cun Chao has boosted Rongjiang's tourism revenue by more than 24 billion yuan ($3.37 billion), while making every resident feel like an integral part of the town's rebirth.

"Over the past three years, Cun Chao has grown from a grassroots football tournament into a comprehensive event that engages the entire population, blending sports, culture, and economic activity," Xu noted. "It has united the community and attracted attention from across China and even around the world."

In those three years, Rongjiang has hosted over 1,200 international players from 52 countries, including stars such as Brazilian player Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, Italian player Fabio Cannavaro and Roberto Baggio.

"Today, Rongjiang is no longer just lively on the football pitch," Xu said. "Traditional cultural stages, village basketball tournaments, and canyon rafting activities are now part of our everyday life."

Wider reach

Guizhou's grassroots football tournaments have expanded beyond local excitement.

According to China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, more than 29,000 integrated culture, sports and tourism events were held nationwide during the National Day cultural and tourism consumption month, with "watching games plus travel" and "participating in games plus travel" activities accounting for 43 percent, up 12 percentage points from the same period last year.

"Following the enthusiastic roll-out of tournaments across the province, the 'sports + cultural tourism' model is finding new solutions - sports are injecting fresh vitality into high-quality urban development through immersive, scene-based experiences," Bu noted.

According to Bu, part of this impact comes from how events are promoted: organizers and cultural tourism institutions leverage short videos and social media to highlight themed activities, creating trending topics and online engagement that amplify the tournaments' cultural influence.

The appeal of tournaments such as Cun Chao lies in its ability to continuously raise a city's visibility and vibrancy, while local sports and tourism industries transform and upgrade, forming a new economic growth engine, said Bu.

"Once rooted in small village pitches, Cun Chao now weaves together sport, culture, and community, becoming a symbol of resilience, collective energy, and enduring spirit of local identity," Beijing-based sports commentator Guo Ai told the Global Times.