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.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Wednesday it had launched the 89th wave of Operation True Promise 4, carrying out strikes against U.S. and Israeli targets in the region.

The IRGC said in a statement that Iran and various resistance fronts, through coordinated operations, used heavy missiles, attack drones, and rockets to strike U.S. military bases and Israeli targets.

The statement said the operation targeted Israeli military facilities and assembly points in Eilat, Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, and other locations, and claimed that, according to local sources, it had caused significant Israeli casualties.

The IRGC also stated that it had hit a location in Bahrain housing 80 U.S. troops, and Iranian ballistic missiles struck a U.S. helicopter formation at a base in Kuwait, destroying one helicopter and damaging others.