Some 30,000 people gather in Taipan village, Southwest China's Guizhou Province on March 27, 2023 to watch the Village Basketball Association. Photo: VCG

After the rural basketball game event, "Village Basketball Association (BA)," in Southwest China's Guizhou Province went viral on social media platforms, the province launched related tour products targeting the upcoming eight-day National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays. 

All travel routes - 1-day, 2-day or 7-day - all include Taipan village, where the village BA originated, according to Guizhou provincial culture and tourism department. 

Tourists can watch live basket gaming events as the Village BA is held before October, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. A total of eight teams will play in the grassroot grand finals in October, which will be held in Taipan.

In August, a four-day basketball tournament was held in Taipan, which took place during a local festival for a good harvest after intense farming labor. The game attracted hundreds and thousands of spectators, cheering the athletes by knocking iron pots and bowls together. 

Photo taken on March 27, 2023 shows a aerial view of the final match between Team Qiandongnan and Team Zunyi at "Village BA" basketball tournament in Taipan Village, Taijiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province. Photo: Xinhua

The game event has become an online sensation, watched for 30 billion times on the internet, local media reported.

It is estimated Taipan - referred as the "the Holy Land" of Village BA - has so far welcomed more than 2 million tourists, earning tourism income of more than 2.3 billion yuan ($315 million). 

Villagers set up ladders to watch the final match between Team Qiandongnan and Team Zunyi at "Village BA" basketball tournament in Taipan Village, Taijiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, March 27, 2023. Photo: Xinhua

Apart from the Village BA-related tour products, Guizhou also offered liquor-themed travel routes that include Maotai town, which is famous for producing China's luxury liquor Kweichow Moutai.

Visitors can enjoy complimentary drinks on site and can participate in diverse cultural activities.

Recently, Moutai gained popularity especially among young people with the launch of alcohol-infused coffee and alcohol-infused chocolate.



In November 2022, Guizhou released the first grouping of 10 liquor-themed tourism scenic spots.

Apart from new travel routes, Guizhou will also implement a set of new ticket rules. From September 29 to October 6, 2023, Guizhou Province's 3A level or above scenic spots will implement the "one ticket for multi-day use" rule, allowing visitors to enter scenic spots unlimited times within a specified period.

Global Times