Grassroots football league boosts cultural tourism consumption in China's Jiangsu

The 7th round of 2025 Jiangsu Football City League, dubbed "Su Super League" was held over the weekend in Changzhou City, east China's Jiangsu Province, driving a surge in cultural tourism consumption across the province.

The 7th round of the league, featuring six games, was held at Changzhou Olympic Sports Center, where over 70 market stalls outside offered free red herbal tea and local delicacies.

Tourist attractions in Changzhou also prepared dance and acrobatic performances, allowing football fans to enjoy the charm of local culture. To better serve the fans, local authorities rolled out comprehensive services, allowing visitors from other places to enjoy free bus and subway rides all day with ID cards, while drivers were granted free access to 5,000 parking spaces from noon to midnight.

In addition, Changzhou and Xuzhou jointly launched tourism campaigns featuring live match broadcasts at tourist attractions and shopping districts, alongside performances, dining events, and market fairs to boost tourism consumption.

The 2025 Jiangsu Football City League, made up of 13 city teams competing in Jiangsu province, has become the most igniting sporting phenomenon in the country this summer.

With no big name players and coaches, an amateur soccer league has captured the nation's imagination largely through the fierce passion from local participants and fans. According to the statistics, only 29 out of the 500 participants were professional players, while the rest are amateurs from various industries.

Grassroots football league boosts cultural tourism consumption in China's Jiangsu

The Bayannur section of the Yellow River in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region became fully frozen as of 07:00 Sunday, officially entering its stable winter ice period.

Freezing of the river commenced on December 4, 2025, but repeated thawing and refreezing driven by temperature fluctuations and higher water flow postponed a full, stable freeze-over. The entire process lasted 48 days, 29 days longer than the previous year, making it the longest freezing period for this section in recent years.

In response to the extended and volatile freezing process, local authorities in Bayannur City and districts along the river have intensified their ice-jam prevention efforts. Officials have been conducting thorough inspections to identify and manage any potential obstacles within the river channel that could contribute to dangerous ice dams.

To ensure safety and stability during the frozen season, a 24-hour monitoring and patrol system has been implemented along the riverbanks to watch for any signs of ice-related hazards.

Inner Mongolia section of Yellow River enters stable ice period after 48 days