China's Village Super League kicks off new season with global ambitions

The opening ceremony of the fourth season of the Village Super League (VSL), a grassroots soccer tournament known as "Cun Chao," is held in Rongjiang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

The fourth season of the legendary Village Super League (VSL), a grassroots soccer tournament known as "Cun Chao," kicked off on Jan. 2 in Rongjiang county in southwest China's Guizhou Province.

This year's edition has expanded to 137 village teams, up from 62 in 2024 and 108 in 2025. The tournament first burst onto the national scene in the summer of 2023. "Enthusiasm has surged," said Shi Fang, deputy director of Rongjiang county's Cun Chao service office.

Beyond local teams, Rongjiang has attracted squads from across the country through the VSL national tournament. The finals of the inaugural VSL national tournament were held in the county on Aug. 10, 2025.

"We established 36 competition areas, with 683 teams competing nationwide. Fifty-one teams advanced to compete here in Rongjiang," Shi said. A soccer team from Zhaoqing, south China's Guangdong Province, secured the national championship.

From its inception, Rongjiang mapped out a three-phase strategy: starting with local participation, expanding to attract players nationwide, and eventually welcoming international teams. In 2024, nearly 30 teams and more than 1,100 players from France, Liberia, Argentina, the U.S. and elsewhere came to compete in Cun Chao matches.

"We've not only achieved our initial goals — we're also on track to host the first Cun Chao World Cup in 2028," Shi said.

Over 20 kilometers from the main stadium sits Dali village in Zaima town. This centuries-old Dong ethnic village, with over 100 traditionally styled homes, is listed among China's national traditional villages.

Mist shrouds Baibei village, Xinghua township, Rongjiang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Pan Shaoping)

"After Cun Chao took off, we went from an obscure destination to a must-visit spot in Rongjiang. Tourists poured in, and our narrow access road quickly became a bottleneck," said Jiang Yongji, deputy town head.

In May 2025, villagers pooled funds to purchase shuttle vehicles better suited to mountain roads, ferrying tourists from parking areas to the village entrance. These shuttles have helped bring visitors drawn by Cun Chao into the ancient settlement, while boosting tourism income for residents.

Further from the county seat, Baibei village brought its most sacred tradition — the Guzang Festival — to the opening of the first Cun Chao, significantly raising its profile.

"It opened new development paths for us," said Liu Zhengwen, Party branch secretary of Baibei village. In 2025, the village earned 220,000 yuan ($30,000) in rental income from unused houses, while its collective operating revenue exceeded 3 million yuan. Ahead of last year's VSL finals, Baibei organized a cultural event that attracted more than 4,000 visitors and generated over 200,000 yuan in direct income for villagers.

"While respecting local customs and habits, we guide townships and towns to develop distinctive activities, schedules and business layouts, offering tourists more diverse tourism products," said Pan Huijun, deputy director of Rongjiang's culture, sports, radio, television and tourism bureau.

From January to November 2025, Rongjiang received more than 9.89 million tourist visits, with tourism revenue reaching 11.4 billion yuan. Villagers have reaped tangible benefits from the Cun Chao wave.

According to Shi, Cun Chao's distinctiveness lies in its ability to transcend pure sports competition, becoming an engine that uses soccer to drive the integrated development of ethnic culture, rural landscapes, and the local economy.

Players compete during a Class Super League match at a primary school in Guzhou town, Rongjiang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Photo/Li Changhua)

To ensure the sustainable integration of sports and tourism, Rongjiang launched a 10-year soccer development plan in May 2025. The plan aims to build a three-tier soccer system: the VSL for communities, the Class Super League for students, and competitions for professional players. The goal is to establish Rongjiang as a major national soccer talent training base.

In 2023, the VSL and England's Premier League signed a strategic cooperation agreement, launching the Premier Skills project in Rongjiang. In June 2025, the project was implemented again in the county.

"They brought professional teams to provide intensive training for our players, referees, coaches and commentators. This not only strengthens our youth development system but also supports soccer-themed study tours," Shi said.

Looking ahead, Rongjiang plans to develop a comprehensive Cun Chao complex, aiming to create a multifaceted sports tourism destination combining competition, training and tourism.