China's 'Village Super League' friendly match held in Luoyang, C China's Henan

A friendly football match in China's Village Super League (VSL), also known as "Cun Chao" in the country, is held in Luoyang city, central China's Henan Province, Sept. 7, 2024.  (Shi Zhiwei/Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China committee of Laocheng district, Luoyang city)

A friendly football match in China's Village Super League (VSL), also known as "Cun Chao", took place in Luoyang city, central China's Henan Province, on the evening of Sept. 7.

During the event, a football team of Luoyi ancient city, a national 3A-level tourist attraction in Laocheng district, Luoyang, played against a village football team from southwest China's Guizhou Province, where the VSL was initiated. The Luoyi ancient city football team won the match with a score of 3:1.

In addition to the intense football match, colorful performances and displays featuring intangible cultural heritage were also staged during the event, providing a grand feast of culture, sports, and tourism for local citizens, tourists, and online viewers.

The event commenced with dynamic lion and dragon dance, as well as an acrobatic performance, instantly igniting the atmosphere in the venue.

The participating teams and performers entered the venue in formation.

A show featuring dragon and lion dance is presented during a friendly football match held in Luoyang city, central China's Henan Province, Sept. 7, 2024. (Shi Zhiwei/Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China committee of Laocheng district, Luoyang city)

The Guizhou formations featured football players and performers of Kam Grand Choir, also known as the Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group, and the Lusheng dance of the Miao ethnic group, which are both national-level intangible cultural heritage.

The formations of the Luoyi ancient city included football players and performers of shows featuring Hanfu, the traditional costume of the Han ethnic group; Chinese martial arts; cultural relics; Guochao, a fashion trend characterized by modern designs mixed with traditional cultural elements; and provincial-level intangible cultural heritage.

A friendly football match in China's Village Super League (VSL), also known as "Cun Chao" in the country, is held in Luoyang city, central China's Henan Province, Sept. 7, 2024.  (Shi Zhiwei/Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China committee of Laocheng district, Luoyang city)

The distinctive ways in which different formations entered the venue showcased the charm of the cultures of different ethnic groups, eliciting enthusiastic applause from the spectators.

During halftime, representatives from the Shaolin Temple Tagou Martial Arts School in Dengfeng city, Henan Province, captivated the spectators with a mesmerizing show that blended Shaolin Kung Fu with football, and performers from Guizhou wowed the crowd with the Dong ethnic group's Grand Song.

A show featuring dragon and lion dance is presented during a friendly football match held in Luoyang city, central China's Henan Province, Sept. 7, 2024.  (Shi Zhiwei/Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China committee of Laocheng district, Luoyang city)

A fair located outside the field displayed a dazzling array of creative and cultural items featuring intangible cultural heritage, allowing visitors to indulge in the charm of culture.

Around 9 p.m., a variety of cultural and artistic performances were staged at the venue, and tens of thousands of spectators in Hanfu were invited to dance to music on the pitch. The collision of traditional music and modern trends elevated the atmosphere to a climax.

The event was reported on and livestreamed via nearly 200 new media platforms by mainstream media outlets and over 100 internet influencers from 27 provinces across the country.

A show featuring Peking Opera is presented during a friendly football match held in Luoyang city, central China's Henan Province, Sept. 7, 2024.  (Shi Zhiwei/Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China committee of Laocheng district, Luoyang city)

Subsequent activities such as a Hanfu-themed study tour and cultural experience, as well as sharing sessions were held on Sept. 8 and Sept. 9.

Zhou Xin, head of Laocheng district, pointed out in his speech that this event offered an opportunity for Laocheng district and Guizhou's Rongjiang county, which is widely known for initiating the VSL, to jointly showcase the cultural charm and ethnic characteristics of Henan and Guizhou provinces, creating a model of cross-regional cultural exchange.

A show featuring kung fu is presented during a friendly football match held in Luoyang city, central China's Henan Province, Sept. 7, 2024.  (Shi Zhiwei/Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China committee of Laocheng district, Luoyang city)

Peng Hui, deputy mayor of Rongjiang county, called the collaboration between Luoyi ancient city and Guizhou VSL a mutual sharing of traffic between two top IPs, an exchange and mutual learning of excellent cultures, and an innovative integration of sports and tourism.

The synergy, mutual empowerment, and traffic sharing between the two top IPs, namely the Hanfu culture of Laocheng district and VSL of Rongjiang, will further boost the popularity of the two IPs and promote the integrated development of culture, tourism, and sports sectors for the two areas, Peng said.

Lusheng dance of the Miao ethnic group is performed during a friendly football match held in Luoyang city, central China's Henan Province, Sept. 7, 2024. (Shi Zhiwei/Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China committee of Laocheng district, Luoyang city)

A band performs during a friendly football match held in Luoyang city, central China's Henan Province, Sept. 7, 2024. (Shi Zhiwei/Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China committee of Laocheng district, Luoyang city)