Meet "Cun Chao," China's village football tournament, in Hong Kong

Hong Kong television host and actor Natalis Chan (C), also a player on the Hong Kong celebrity football team, is seen welcoming a group of more than 150 people from Rongjiang County in Guizhou Province with his teammates at Hong Kong West Kowloon railway station, Nov. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

Unlike more official games, such as the Chinese Super League, Cun Chao has a more down-to-earth style, with players coming from a variety of backgrounds. On the playfield, they are the stars that the audience cheer for, but in their lives, they are vendors, drivers, students, and even butchers.

HONG KONG, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- The first time that "Cun Chao," or the "village super league" that has become an internet sensation in China, steps out of the mountainous villages in the southwestern province of Guizhou, it has made a splash in one of the country's most international cities -- Hong Kong.

On Saturday, in a face-off at the Hong Kong Stadium, the star-studded Hong Kong celebrity football team beat the village super league team 3-1.

But it was not the score or the game itself that mattered to the thousands of fans at the stadium. To them, the game is more of a cultural exchange and a showcase of friendship strengthened by sports.

Felix Wong (F), an actor and player of the Hong Kong celebrity team, is seen taking photos with football fans in Hong Kong, south China, Nov. 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

Comprising renowned actors, singers and entertainment stars, the Hong Kong celebrity team on its own drew many fans. The village super league team, coming all the way from Rongjiang County in Guizhou, brought even more followers, many dressed in colorful clothes of different ethnic groups.

"I learned about Hong Kong and its buzzing city scene from television. Seeing this international metropolis with my own eyes is like a dream come true," said Xiong Zhuqing, a fan from Guizhou who is nicknamed "watermelon girl" for bringing watermelons she plants to cheer for games of Cun Chao.

"I hope that friends from Hong Kong will visit my hometown, see the mountains for themselves, and taste our local food. I hope our friendship will last forever," she said.

The village super league team from Rongjiang County in Guizhou Province and the Hong Kong celebrity football team pose for a photo after a match in Hong Kong, south China on Nov. 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

It was through grassroots sports that the world got to know about the poor but vibrant county of Rongjiang. During the past summer, football games among different villages in Rongjiang gained unexpected popularity, with an average game attracting more than 10,000 spectators. Netizens flocked to watch the games and nicknamed them "village super league," or Cun Chao in Chinese.

Unlike more official games, such as the Chinese Super League, Cun Chao has a more down-to-earth style, with players coming from a variety of backgrounds. On the playfield, they are the stars that the audience cheer for, but in their lives, they are vendors, drivers, students, and even butchers.

It was exactly the grass-root nature of the games and the chill and fun they present that impressed Hong Kong television host and actor Natalis Chan.

The village super league team from Rongjiang County in Guizhou Province and the Hong Kong celebrity football team pose for a photo after a match in Hong Kong, south China on Nov. 11, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

"Grandmas, grandpas, the kids, so many people are watching the games. It is exactly the kind of games I watched when I was a kid," said Chan, 73, a player on the Hong Kong celebrity football team.

In August this year, the Hong Kong celebrity football team visited Rongjiang, and played a game with the village team. They won the game 4-3 with a very special prize: a pair of pig trotters.

While having fun, the game also left a strong impression on members of the Hong Kong celebrity football team, and players, including Chan, hoped that his team could help Rongjiang raise more funds to build more professional football fields and develop grass-root sports.

"Many villagers have never visited Hong Kong, so we want to invite them over," said Chan.

Photo taken on Nov. 11, 2023 shows a cultural performance brought by cheerleaders from Guizhou Province visiting Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei)

Thanks to efforts from various institutions, a group of more than 150 people from Guizhou made it to Hong Kong, bringing cultural performances, intangible cultural heritage programs, and local foods.

Felix Wong, an actor and player of the Hong Kong celebrity team best known for his performance in The Legend of the Condor Heroes in 1983, sees the game as an opportunity for cultural exchange.

"They brought local Guizhou culture and food to Hong Kong, and we will also take this opportunity to invite them to taste food and enjoy the night view of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong celebrity football team hopes to visit more places in China in the future, whether it is a big city or a small village," he said.

Peng Xixi, honorary vice chairman of the football association of Rongjiang County, said that the impact of the game in Hong Kong has gone far beyond expectations.

"This is the first shot of grassroots sports going out to the world. In the future, we will try to better tell the stories of our hometown and Chinese culture to more people around the world," Peng said.