Authors: Ethan Mengqi Zhang, Hao Zihan, Liu Hongyou, Su Yuxian, Zhang Ziyi (in no particular order)
Rongjiang County was among the last counties in China to be lifted out of poverty, officially removed from the national poverty list on November 23, 2020. Before that, this small county, nestled deep in the mountains of southeastern Guizhou, had long grappled with development challenges: inconvenient transportation, a weak industrial base, and a steady outflow of young laborers. Even after poverty alleviation in 2020, Rongjiang still faced the real challenge of consolidating poverty reduction achievements and realizing rural revitalization.
However, in 2023, this small county, with an average permanent population of only 294,300, saw a turning point in its economic development. A grassroots football tournament spontaneously organized by local villagers, known as the ‘Village Super League’ (Cun Chao), not only went viral online but also captured global attention, propelling Rongjiang into the spotlight.
Since its launch in 2023, the Village Super League (VSL) has amassed over 100 billion online views, evolving into both a mass-participation sporting extravaganza and a cultural-tourism phenomenon. According to statistics from the Rongjiang County Government website, in 2023, Rongjiang received a total of 7.6585 million tourists, achieving a comprehensive tourism revenue of 8.398 billion yuan, up 73.94% year-on-year. By 2024, tourist arrivals grew to 9.462 million, with revenue reaching 10.803 billion yuan (up 28.64%). From a once impoverished county to an internet-famous destination, the rise of the VSL has directly driven Rongjiang’s rapid economic growth.
The ‘Masterminds’ Behind the Viral Success of VSL
Before the VSL gained popularity, Rongjiang had already strategically organized diverse cultural and tourism events to stimulate economic growth. With ethnic minorities comprising 81% of its population, the county possesses rich cultural assets, including the Dong Grand Song (a polyphonic singing tradition) and Miao Lusheng performances. Prior to the Village Super League, signature local events encompassed the Horse Racing Festival, Bullfighting Festival, and Drum-Sacrifice Festival (Guzang Jie).
However, the Drum-Sacrifice Festival is held only once every 13 years—too infrequent to maintain sustained momentum—while bullfighting, being somewhat violent, faces limitations for digital promotion. As Ning Qingchen, Deputy Director of the Village Super League Research Institute, explained: “Football stood out as the ideal choice for Rongjiang. The county boasts a deeply rooted football culture, with widespread local participation and spectator appeal, making it far more conducive to viral dissemination.”
In 2023, the VSL exploded online with its unique charm. On the pitch, non-professional players from all walks of life delivered dazzling moments such as ‘rainbow flicks’, ‘long-range screamers’, and ‘bicycle kicks’. During halftime, villagers in traditional ethnic attire took turns performing dragon dances, playing the lusheng, and singing Dong songs, turning the green field into a grand stage for cultural exchange. Outside the stadium, Rongjiang’s local specialties – passion fruit, rolled rice noodles, barbecue, and more-spread throughout the county town, filling the air with the vibrant ‘yanhuoqi’ (the lively atmosphere of street life and culinary culture).
On June 3, 2023, renowned sports commentator Han Qiaosheng arrived on-site to provide live commentary. On June 5, then–Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying praised the event on overseas social media. On June 23, former national team player Fan Zhiyi brought the Qinghai Guoluo United team to Rongjiang. On July 29, the finals drew crowds from across the country, with major media outlets such as CCTV News and Xinhua News Agency providing extensive coverage. The Village Super League had truly gone viral—both nationally and internationally.
Ning summarized that behind this phenomenal grassroots sports event was the key role of Rongjiang’s 12,800 “self-media” content creators: “Every Rongjiang resident is a ‘Village Super League promoter.’ Many of our viral moments were shot by villagers and shared online.”
One such creator is “Dun”. During the 2023 tournament, he livestreamed matches from the sidelines every day, explaining the event to viewers and answering questions. He noted that while mainstream media offers a broader perspective, they focus on capturing exciting goals, touching moments, and scenes of beauty.
Another creator, Yang Xiaoping, said: “We convey the ‘truth, kindness, and beauty’ of the Village Super League and Rongjiang. Our videos and photos are shared in group chats, free of copyright and charges.”
This bottom-up promotion was made possible by forward-thinking local government planning. As early as 2021, Rongjiang, through its “家乡来客” rural support team, launched large-scale new media training, cultivating 12,800 rural livestreamers skilled in short video production and livestream e-commerce. These “digital new farmers” became the foundation for the Village Super League’s viral success.
County Party Secretary Xu Bo has repeatedly stated: “The real masterminds behind the Village Super League’s sustained popularity are the people of Rongjiang.”
Boosting Cultural Tourism Economic Development
The Village Super League’s popularity has attracted tourists from all over China, rapidly boosting local accommodation and catering. Rongjiang’s county seat has a permanent population of around 100,000 and a registered population of 385,000. On July 29, 2023, the day of the finals, about 370,000 people flooded into Rongjiang.
“I’ve never seen so many people in my life,” said an 80-year-old Dong elder, visibly moved.
In 2022, Rongjiang had only one three-star hotel. With the Village Super League’s rise, the county now has hotels such as the Guizhou Village Super Hotel, Milun International Hotel, and Beland Hotel, plus 15 boutique guesthouses. The number of beds increased from 5,958 in 2023 to over 11,000. In 2024, the county’s accommodation industry revenue reached 171 million yuan.
One of the founders of the Village Super League, Yang Yajiang, principal of Chemin Primary School, said: “From summer to winter vacation, people from all over the country come to Rongjiang.” The matches are lively and packed with visitors.
Outside the stadium, locals enthusiastically sell passion fruit, watermelon, noodles, bayberry juice, and barbecue to tourists.
Xie Rong, head cheerleader for Pingdi Village in Langdong Town, noticed that some fans gave up attending matches due to overcrowding. To better support the event, she opened a “Football Fans’ Home · Farmer Support Store” to provide a gathering place for fans to watch matches together.
She also actively engages in rural support. Xie and her colleagues purchase agricultural products from farmers in various villages and set up a display area in the store, leveraging the event’s large crowds to boost sales. They often livestream from fields, telling farmers: “You just focus on farming—we handle the sales!”
Thanks to the Village Super League, Rongjiang’s high-mountain passion fruit successfully hit the market, with both online and offline sales booming. In 2024, the county’s online agricultural product sales exceeded 47.4799 million yuan, up 112.42% year-on-year.
One memorable thank-you letter to Xie’s store read: “This year you helped me sell more than 30,000 yuan worth of produce. I’ve never had that much money at once. With it, I was finally able to go to the hospital for my chronic leg pain.”
The event’s ethnic song-and-dance performances have also boosted minority cultural industries. At the stadium, people in the traditional attire of the Dong, Shui, and Miao ethnic groups are a unique attraction.
One example is Lanlan, a young woman from the Miao ethnic group, who often wears traditional batik clothing made by her elders to cheer for matches. “Many tourists praise my outfit and want to experience our traditional culture, even buying clothes to give as gifts.” she said.
Lanlan, a graduate in preschool education, used to work at a kindergarten in Guiyang. With family and friends in Rongjiang, she had long wanted to return. In May 2023, after the Village Super League went popular, she seized the opportunity and decided to start a business in Rongjiang.
That year, she attended a 15-day internet marketing course organized by the county’s Human Resources Bureau, learning short video production and livestream e-commerce. Leveraging the event’s popularity, she attracted many followers interested in the tournament and Miao batik. In 2024, she opened a batik clothing experience store near the stadium, selling both online and offline. “Now my clothes are basically sold out every day.” she said.
The VSL also draws visitors to villages such as Baibei, a traditional Miao settlement in the Moon Mountain area known as the “Village on the Cloud.” The village preserves crafts such as the “Hundred Birds” feathered costume and traditional festivals like the Drum Festival and Miao New Year. “Now, some villagers can sell 3,000 pieces of traditional clothing in a single month,” Ning said.
Today, the VSL is bustling with tourists from all over. Outside the venue, a dazzling array of local delicacies like passion fruit, beef bile hotpot, Rongjiang rice rolls, and Guizhou barbecue tempt visitors. The “Football Fans’ Home · Farmer Support Store” is packed with football enthusiasts, while the Miao ethnic batik intangible cultural heritage exhibition area draws crowds of traditional craft lovers… The phenomenal success of VSL is fueling rapid economic growth in this small mountainous city.
New Industries and Jobs
The Village Super League’s popularity has spawned new industries and job opportunities. Between 2023 and 2024, more than 5,000 new businesses registered in Rongjiang—more than in the previous ten years combined—covering e-commerce, specialty agriculture, new media, and cultural tourism.
External companies have also invested heavily. In June 2025, Hunan Huacheng Biological Resources Co. injected 300 million yuan to establish Guizhou Huacheng GreenTech Biotechnology Co., developing a full industrial chain for monk fruit production. The following month (July 2025), Zhangjiajie Jiurui Biotechnology Co. invested 100 million yuan to construct a turmeric processing facility, creating over 100 local jobs.
The event has also encouraged more than 1,300 university graduates to return to start businesses in self-media, catering, and cultural creativity.
Even during the off-season, locals are using the event’s momentum to develop the “new rural economy”—turning phones into “new farm tools”, data into “new farm inputs”, and livestreams into “new farm work”.
Lanlan’s batik business now employs over 80 embroiderers and dyers through a cooperative. “Even county leaders place orders with me now.” she said. Batik has become Rongjiang’s “second business card” after the Village Super League.
From the Drum-Sacrifice Festival and Horse Racing Festival to the Village Basketball League and now the Village Super League, Rongjiang’s growth is the result of collective effort. The Village Super League has ignited grassroots football passion and become a powerful engine for economic development. In September 2023, Rongjiang was officially designated a pilot county for using cultural industries to drive rural revitalization, offering valuable lessons nationwide.
As Ning said: “The Village Super League is a story of rural revitalization, aimed at driving Rongjiang’s development.” Today, with continued innovation in both the Village Super League and cultural tourism, Rongjiang is working to transform its viral fame into lasting success.
References:
1.https://www.rongjiang.gov.cn/zwgk_5903530/bmxxgkml_5907050/tjj_5907074/zfxxgk_5907191/fdzdgknr_5907194/tjsj_5907591/202303/t20230313_78464217.html
2.https://www.rongjiang.gov.cn/xwzx_5903512/rjyw_5903513/202407/t20240712_85091552.html
3.https://www.rongjiang.gov.cn/zwgk_5903530/zdlyxxgk/tjsj_5903737/202505/t20250512_87844950.html
4.https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/dPZiX1Xmc65s1udEFqidbw
5.https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/qtiyDGTzaD9GJvqPDMf7WA
6.https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/H6h1vxA4oKh4JASuGbvDYA
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