2025 Cunchao Photo: VCG
A match between two highly competitive teams from different villages in the weekend in Rongjiang county, Southwest China's Guizhou Province, marked the official opening of the 2025 season of the Village Super League (VSL), or Cunchao. Featuring 108 teams and comprising more than 3,000 football enthusiasts from 20 villages, the league is now in its third year.
"This year, the competition format is different. During the 40-to-20 phase, we are adopting a system similar to that of international football events like the UEFA Champions League, with home-and-away games in order to make the matches fairer," Chen Xingyang, an executive vice chairman of the Guizhou Rongcheng county Football Association, told the Global Times on Sunday.
Since its inception in 2023, the VSL has rapidly gained nationwide popularity, attracting more than 85 billion views across all platforms. With the league's growing recognition, over 1,300 teams from across China, along with 1,160 international players from more than 50 countries and regions, including France, Argentina and Brazil, have traveled to Rongjiang to participate and "make friends through football."
Invitational events with teams from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partner countries are also expected to be held during the National Day holidays in 2025, Wang Yonggui, a deputy head of the Guizhou Village Super League office, said in an interview with the Xinhua News Agency.
According to Xinhua, many foreign visitors have been entranced by the VSL in recent years, with 31-year-old football fan David Geary from Britain "taking Rongjiang as his second hometown." This season marks his second year playing on a village team.
"It's nice to see people playing football and cheering on the village. I'm proud to be a part of it, proud to be someone from Rongjiang," said Geary, adding that he hopes some young players will become professionals through the VSL, according to Xinhua.
His wish is not just idle talk as just a month ago, the English Premier League relaunched the Premier Skills project in Rongjiang. Lasting for five days, it welcomed 42 trainees, including football enthusiasts from VSL teams and sports teachers from local schools.
In addition to regular matches, the 2025 VSL will also host a variety of events, including the first session of a national-level VSL, a national food and intangible cultural heritage friendly match, and the first Women's Football League. The event has further transformed from a simple sports competition into a cultural extravaganza.
Lai Lei, an intangible cultural heritage inheritor from Rongjiang, is one example as she arrived at the stadium for the opening ceremony with two large suitcases of batik products in tow. For Lai, the VSL has become the best platform to promote local products. "Since the VSL started, demand for our cultural and creative products has consistently outstripped supply," she said, as reported by the China News Service.
The popularity of the VSL has translated into consumer energy and economic growth. Official data shows that since the VSL began, Rongjiang has welcomed a total of 16.91 million visitors, generating tourism revenue of 19.07 billion yuan ($2.59 billion). While players fiercely compete on the field, the sidelines are bustling with crowds at stalls offering various products and local delicacies, which have become fan favorites.
"By leveraging football, the VSL has been transformed into a stage where teams from home and abroad can shine. It has now become a 'magnet' for showcasing China's rich culture and fostering exchanges among football enthusiasts from around the world," said Wang Yongjie, a deputy director of publicity department of Rongjiang county, as reported by China News Service.
