Rongjiang County in southwest China's Guizhou Province hosted the second "Super Saturday" event since the relaunch of China's popular grassroots football tournament, the Village Super League - also known as Cun Chao, after being disrupted by devastating floods in late June.
"Super Saturday" blends football matches, performances and delicacies into a carnival that has gone viral, yet just over a month ago the iconic Cun Chao stadium itself was almost destroyed by the floods.
The rural football feast commands attention not only because of the passion it sparks, but because it returned after a disaster that upended life here.
"I think the people of Rongjiang and people from all over China are more united than ever. Rebuilding has really strengthened our spirit and willpower," said Lu Shijuan, a Rongjiang resident.
Rongjiang was struck by two major floods on June 24 and 28. Torrents of water inundated the county town, causing widespread damage and forcing a suspension of the tournament, which began in May 2023 and quickly captured national attention.
For Rongjiang, Village Super League is more than a sport - it is tied to the county's whole cultural-tourism economy. Its revival is expected to breathe life back into local businesses.
The disaster triggered an immediate response nationwide. More than 10,000 rescue personnel mobilized to Rongjiang, working alongside residents to restore order and begin rebuilding.
As the matches resumed, rescue teams and volunteers were honored guests at the matches.
"We arrived with 30 people and stayed for more than a week. The mud was over a meter deep. We shoveled it together. Now the pitch looks amazing. You'd never guess there was a flood. It shows how strong China's cohesion is," said Yang Zhiming, a volunteer from Kaili City.
These collective efforts enabled a swift recovery. Basic services were largely restored, major roads reopened, and over 90 percent of the approximately 6,800 affected businesses resumed operations.
The gratitude-themed reopening of the Cun Chao on July 26 marked a major milestone. That day alone, Rongjiang hosted 180,000 visitors and generated 188 million yuan (about 26 million U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue.
With the rebuilt stadium now ready, Rongjiang looks ahead to the Cun Chao finals on Aug 9 - a fitting climax for a tournament that helped energize the county's revival.
Village football craze regains new life in Guizhou
The Chinese economy advanced with innovation-led, high-quality development despite mounting economic pressure in 2025, with stability, progress, resilience, and innovation standing out as distinguishing characteristics.
China's gross domestic product (GDP) grew 5 percent year on year in 2025 to a record of 140.1879 trillion yuan (about 20.01 trillion U.S. dollars), meeting the annual target of around 5 percent, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed Monday.
The economy during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) was marked by four consecutive leaps, surpassing 110, 120, 130, and 140 trillion yuan, despite multiple unexpected shocks, Kang Yi, head of the NBS, said at a press briefing on Monday, explaining last year's data.
"As the economic structure improved and upgraded, the value-added output of China's high-tech manufacturing firms above the designated size accounted for 17.1 percent of the total value-added industrial output above the designated size in 2025, and final consumption contributed more than 50 percent to economic growth," Kang said.
China's economy in 2025 showed a clear shift toward innovation-driven growth, with research and development spending intensity reaching 2.8 percent, up 0.11 percentage points from 2024 and exceeding the average of OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) economies for the first time.
In 2025, the value added of digital products manufacturing among industrial enterprises above the designated size grew by 9.3 percent year on year, with output of servers and industrial robots posting rapid growth. Green electricity, renewable energy and the broader green economy expanded robustly, while new energy vehicles accounted for more than 50 percent of domestic new-car sales.
Last year, the country's per capita disposable income for residents was 43,377 yuan (about 6,224 U.S. dollars), up 5.0 percent year on year.
For many years, China has contributed roughly 30 percent of global economic growth, cementing its role as an indispensable "ballast" for the world economy.
"In a global context, China's economic growth rate ranks among the world's top major economies, making it the most stable and reliable engine of global economic growth, with its contribution to world economic growth estimated at around 30 percent," said Kang.
Industrial enterprises above the designated size are those with an annual main business revenue of at least 20 million yuan (about 2.84 million U.S. dollars).
Chinese economy in 2025 shows strong resilience bolstered by high-tech innovation
