4 hours ago
1
, /PRNewswire/ -- On April 12, 2025, a group of 19 journalists and influencers from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (the Greater Bay Area) set out for Rongjiang County in Guizhou Province to explore the story behind one of China's most talked-about grassroots sports phenomena: the Village Super League. Organized with support from Hong Kong's TVB, the tour-titled Colorful Guizhou: The Greater Bay Area's Backyard Garden - 2025 Spring Guizhou Tour by Media from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area-brought the group to an open-air stadium tucked into the green hills, where roaring crowds, traditional cultural performances, and an unfiltered passion for sports came together in full force.
Visiting journalists join the player parade, rallying behind Village Super League's amateur athletes.
Unlike professional leagues, the Village Super League in Rongjiang is a public celebration of community spirit - where the players are local farmers and the halftime show features Kam Grand Choirs, a tradition recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage. Just beside the scoreboard, food stalls dish out steaming bowls of suan tang yu (spicy fish soup), while spectators in ornate traditional silver headdresses cheer with the energy of a festival crowd. This blend of football, culture, and carnival has transformed the matches into a showcase of rural China's cultural confidence.
"Football here rediscovers its purest joy, where the jingling of silver ornaments drowns out synthetic stadium chants. It's a reminder of how sports can truly connect people," said one delegation member. Other journalists covering policy and public wellbeing noted the bustling ring of over 30 regional specialty food stalls surrounding the field, highlighting how the event fuels local economies. The symbiosis between sport and village life here offers a compelling example of rural revitalization.
Get the latest news
delivered to your inbox
Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters
By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
The games, organized by and for villagers, draw packed crowds of locals and travelers alike.
The tour's insights will soon be shared with global audiences through major media organizations in the Greater Bay Area, spotlighting Guizhou as a place where tradition and modernity-and sports and culture-intertwine. The Village Super League has been widely described as "a living lens into China's rural transformation-far more than just a football game."
