Grassroots football league boosts tourism in China's Hunan

The 12th round of the Hunan Football League, also known as "Xiang Chao," was held in Yongzhou City, central China's Hunan Province, on Saturday, igniting public enthusiasm for football and boosting local tourism.

The main event saw the Yongzhou team host the Changde team, with Changde winning 2–1. Despite the local team's narrow loss, the match demonstrated how major sporting events can invigorate urban vitality and stimulate cultural tourism consumption.

The league attracted a significant influx of tourists. Beyond the football competition, visitors immersed themselves in Yongzhou's historical and natural attractions, such as Jiuyi Mountain and the Ancient City of Lingling.

"As a native of Yongzhou, I can say that the Hunan Super League has significantly increased visitor flows to our city. Walking through the streets and alleys, everyone can feel the surge in foot traffic and the growth of the local economy. Notably, visitor traffic from Yongzhou accounts for roughly 80 percent of the league's total attendance. The economic impact of the matches is huge," said Tang Maoguo, secretary-general of the Yongzhou Enterprise Chamber of Commerce in Beijing.

Su Hantao, a volunteer with the Volunteer Committee of the Beijing Hunan Chamber of Commerce, came to Yongzhou for the event and experienced the city’s rich cultural heritage firsthand.

"While watching the Hunan Super League matches, I also visited cultural landmarks such as Jiuyi Mountain, the Ancient City of Lingling, and the Wuxi Stele Forest. The kindness and simplicity of Yongzhou people left a deep impression on me," he said.

Su also highlighted a memorable night banquet in the 2,000-year-old Ancient City of Lingling — a celebration that blended traditional culture, the legacy of Tang Dynasty (618-907) literati Liu Zongyuan, and the warm hospitality of Yongzhou residents.

Featuring local specialties like blood duck and Dong’an chicken, the banquet offered visitors an immersive cultural experience that showcased both the city’s historic charm and the vibrancy of its night economy.

Grassroots football league boosts tourism in China's Hunan

The first widespread heavy rainfall China has experienced this year has triggered emergency responses across the country.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) said the heavy rain is set to intensify throughout Saturday night to Sunday.

Level-IV flood control emergency responses were activated at 12:00 on Saturday for central China's Hubei Province and the southwestern Chongqing Municipality, while responses at the same level were maintained for the southern province of Guangdong and the southwestern province of Guizhou.

On early Saturday, heavy rain hit Guizhou's Zhenning Bouyei and Miao Autonomous County, with rainfall in some regions in the county exceeding 50 millimeters,

Trees toppled over on some roads in Zhenning, as thunderstorms and high winds swept the city.

Local authorities immediately launched emergency responses including hazard inspections and road obstacle clearance.

Continuing rainfalls in Guigang City in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region caused extensive flooding in major streets.

With the help of traffic control and flood drainage, the situation on the city's roads has returned to normal.

In Chongyi County, in east China's Jiangxi Province, persistent rain has flooded farmlands and triggered landslides on some roads.

Swift responses were launched to clear debris and reopen roads and traffic has started flowing again.

Heavy rains trigger emergency responses across China