A key figure behind the popular "Village Super League" football tournament in southwest China's Guizhou Province has been dedicated to empowering local youths through a combination of sport and culture which serves up a dynamic celebration of the region's deep-rooted cultural heritage.
Yang Yajiang, the 52-year-old principal of a local primary school and vice president of the Rongjiang County Football Association, has spent the past two decades nurturing a grassroots football culture in his local community.
Yang's journey with the league stretches back to 1999, when he led villagers to build the first makeshift "dirt pitch" in his village. After becoming a school principal several years later, he deepened his efforts to promote football education among youngsters, and then formed the "Old Boys Football Team" in 2015.
Last year, his football passion culminated in the launch of the "Village Super League" or 'Cun Chao' in Chinese, with this tournament taking on a transformational effect in inspiring the local community through sport.
In his role for the county football association, Yang visits various rural villages to immerse himself in the local culture. This includes documenting the enchanting musical traditions of the Dong and Miao ethnic groups, whose folk songs and dances have captivated crowds as part of the pitchside entertainment during league games.
As the profile of the tournament rises, the bar is also being raised among the performers who take to the field, with villagers rehearsing extensively and pre-recording their audio tracks, helping drum up a carnival atmosphere in the stadium.
This year alone, Yang has overseen more than 30 recording sessions, resulting in his computer being filled with a treasure trove of Dong lute songs and Miao mouth organ tunes. Despite often toiling late into the night, he finds immense satisfaction in his work as he sees the popularity of these performances surge.
"The villagers travel from far and wide, with some even journeying over 10 kilometers to participate. Some come here walk, others ride motorcycles, and some even drive themselves. Every time I go to record, it's like discovering a new world. There are many excellent intangible cultural heritages that we have never seen before. It really makes people cry. Why do so many people like our Village Super League? It's because in addition to football, we show more of our excellent folk culture. Including many foreign friends, when they heard the Dong ethnic group song, they said it was 'very beautiful'," said Yang.
Beyond the fierce competition on the field of play, every 'Cun Chao' matchday has evolved into a grand celebration of the vibrant local culture of the Rongjiang people — encompassing their cuisine, dances, music, and traditional attire.
In the days leading up to the finals, over 2,000 villagers participated in rehearsals for the cultural performance program, drawing inspiration from a wide range of sources, from the bamboo pole dances of the Miao ethnic group to the distinctive shape and color of the Olympic-style rings.
Amidst the ongoing rehearsals, young children are often seen playfully kicking a ball on the sidelines, with many of these youngsters hoping to one day take to the pitch themselves.
"I started to play in grade two, and until now, there are many teams in our school. Sports make me happy," said Jiang Mingxuan, a third-grade primary school student.
Yang often joins the primary school students for training sessions as he looks to encourage the next generation of young people and points towards the importance of a slogan in the education sector of Rongjiang: "No sports, no education. No football, no Rongjiang", which underscores the pivotal role the sport occupies in the region.
The football craze in the community has continued to grow and its global appeal is highlighted by the recent visit of former Brazil football star Kaka, who delighted fans with an appearance in Rongjiang back in May to participate in the "Chasing Dreams" charity football event.
Yang proudly showed off a wall adorned with photos depicting the school's endeavors to enable children to experience the joy of football.
"These [photos] show our trip to Spain, and at the 'Meet Kaka' event. The children's art class even created a picture related to the Village Super League, featuring me as No. 33," Yang said.
He also explained football's historical popularity in Rongjiang, attributing it to the sport's deep-seated roots in the region.
"Rongjiang has a long history of football. As early as 1939, when the National Guizhou Normal School moved to Rongjiang, it introduced football to all schools, communities and villages. Since then, it has been particularly passionate about football. Through such inheritance from generation to generation, we have formed such a good football atmosphere today," said Yang.
In a bid to pass the torch, Yang's school also regularly invites players from the reigning 'Cun Chao' champion team to deliver coaching sessions.
Players say they prioritize spending time with the children ahead of their own upcoming matches, and hope that the growth of these local leagues can translate into success for the Chinese national team in the future.
"I believe that the future of these children takes precedence. Our village team may only participate in the Cun Chao league, but with proper nurturing, these children could play for China on the world stage," said Yang Shengchun, a player from the previous year's championship winning team from village.
Through the tireless efforts of organizers like Yang, the Village Super League has become an overnight sensation, attracting over 7 million tourists to Rongjiang County last year.
Village Super League organizer empowers rural youth through football, cultural revival
