"Northeast Super League" concludes in Dalian, fueling holiday consumption, tourism

The 2026 Northeast China City Football League, widely known as the "Northeast Super League," concluded its five-month, four-provincial-region season with a spectacular final in front of a huge crowd in the coastal city of Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province during the National Day holiday.

The surge in sports tourism and enthusiastic match-day crowds have injected new vitality into the local tourist economy.

The championship match between host Dalian and Changchun took place at the Suoyuwan Football Stadium, drawing a record-breaking crowd of over 63,000 spectators.

In a tightly contested final, Changchun secured a 1-0 away victory to claim the Northeast Super League title.

The stands were filled with passionate home and away supporters, alongside football enthusiasts from across the country who traveled to Dalian specifically to celebrate the holiday in a vibrant sporting atmosphere.

"I came from Jilin City in a group of five. We have time off for the National Day holiday, and we really wanted to experience the atmosphere of the Northeast Super League," said Han Ting, a fan from Jilin Province.

"Although I am from Jixi, I am also a fan of the Dalian team. Since this is the final match of the Northeast Super League, I chose to come to Dalian to cheer for the team," said Xu Baichuan, a supporter from Jixi in Heilongjiang Province.

"I came from Lanzhou, Gansu Province. I happened to catch this football match and witness this wonderful moment," said Shi Feng, a fan from Lanzhou in Gansu Province.

"I drove over 600 kilometers from Tongliao, Inner Mongolia. The main purpose was to watch the game, and the rest of the time I could go shopping and eat seafood," said Sun Jingxue, who traveled from Tongliao in Inner Mongolia.

The electrifying atmosphere of the final was a reflection of the league's entire season. Across 34 matches, the tournament attracted over 1.07 million spectators, averaging 31,000 per game. To boost attendances, the event introduced a ticket-stub benefit policy, allowing fans to book free visits to 84 key provincial scenic spots and enjoy discounts at over 20,000 partner merchants. Additionally, 866 secondary viewing venues were set up across the province to extend the match-day experience beyond the stadium.

Outside the stadium, a football carnival offered local delicacies and cultural products, allowing those without tickets to watch the match on big screens, browse the market, and enjoy the festive holiday vibe.

"Our family of three came here to cheer for our fellow townsman from Changchun, and we also took the opportunity to visit beautiful Dalian," said Zheng Junning, a tourist from Changchun, Jilin Province.

"During the National Day holiday, we organized many exciting events, such as a flash mob featuring our century-old trams, a high-altitude piano show, and a locust tree concert. Our foot traffic and sales have doubled, with daily visitors reaching around 140,000," said Zhao Ying, a staff member at the Dongguan Street Historical and Cultural Block in Xigang District, Dalian.

Data shows that since the league's inception, Liaoning Province has received 31.714 million tourist visits. The 866 secondary viewing venues directly contributed to 1.94 billion yuan (about 289 million U.S. dollars) in spending, while the entire season drove over 12.92 billion yuan (about 1.9 billion U.S. dollars) in total spending across the culture, sports, and tourism industry chain.

"Northeast Super League" concludes in Dalian, fueling holiday consumption, tourism

The Gaza Strip has suffered severe casualties and heavy economic losses during the past three years of Palestinian-Israeli conflict, according to a statement from the Hamas-run Gaza Government Media Office.

The media office on Wednesday issued a statement saying that the ongoing conflict has claimed the lives of more than 74,000 people in the Gaza Strip, displaced more than 2 million people from their homes, and caused direct economic losses totaling over 80 billion U.S. dollars.

The statement said that in terms of economic damage, the residential sector had suffered the heaviest impact, amounting to approximately 34 billion dollars; healthcare and municipal public services had each sustained losses of around 6 billion dollars; the commercial, industrial, and agricultural sectors had incurred combined losses of approximately 13 billion dollars; and sectors such as telecommunications and education had also suffered severe losses.

The statement noted that the ongoing blockade and conflict have dealt a devastating blow to local livelihoods; over 87 percent of the Gaza Strip's agricultural land and greenhouses has been destroyed, and 8,700 agricultural wells have been rendered inoperable, causing annual fruit and vegetable yields to plummet from 524,000 tons to just 20,000 tons.

The statement said that over the three years of conflict, the Israeli military has dropped more than 230,000 tons of explosives on the Gaza Strip, resulting in damage to over 90 percent of the Strip, including the complete destruction of more than 335,000 buildings.

Through its military operations and forced displacement, the Israeli military now effectively controls more than 80 percent of the territory in the Gaza Strip, the statement said.

The recorded death toll in the Gaza Strip has reached 74,250, with approximately 9,500 others believed to be still buried under the rubble or missing, the statement said, adding that more than 55 percent of those killed were children, women, and the elderly.

The ongoing conflict has also claimed the lives of 1,723 healthcare workers, 149 civil defense and rescue personnel, and 262 media professionals, according to the statement.

Only 19 of the 38 hospitals in the Gaza Strip remain partially operational, while medical services in northern Gaza and the Rafah area have completely collapsed, the statement said.

Across the Gaza Strip, 97 percent of school buildings have sustained damage, and more than 740,000 students have been deprived of their right to education, according to the statement.

The statement also blamed Israel's obstruction of aid corridors for a severe humanitarian disaster, resulting in 460 deaths -- including 164 children -- due to acute hunger and malnutrition.

Gaza suffers severe casualties, economic losses in three-year conflict