The city of Luoyang in central China's Henan Province showcased traditional Chinese performances at a recent match of the influential Village Super League, an amateur football tournament in China, allowing a wider audience to experience the charm of Luoyang's culture.
The match, played on June 10 during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, featured a team from Laocheng district of Luoyang and a team from Hulun Buir in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The game took place in Rongjiang county, Guizhou Province.
Prior to kickoff, a parade showcased formations of palace ladies from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) holding traditional palace lanterns, alongside formations of football players and enthusiasts wearing Hanfu, traditional Chinese attire. During halftime, a performance of Cuju, an ancient Chinese ball game, entertained the crowd. The event concluded with a display of Hanfu after the final whistle.
"The Hanfu of Luoyang is stunning! Today was not just about football; it was a display of confidence in our Chinese culture," said local resident Huang Qingtao, as the cultural elements elicited rounds of applause from the audience.
"By partnering with the Village Super League, a popular village football tournament in China, we can effectively promote the tourism and cultural industry of Luoyang and Laocheng district," said an official of Laocheng, who added that such efforts would attract more tourists to experience the culture of the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907) and help boost Luoyang's tourism industry.
"We were impressed by the vibrant football atmosphere here in Rongjiang and the deep-rooted football culture among the locals. We've learned a lot and what we experienced here provided valuable insights for the development of football in Luoyang," said Gao Sujie, a Luoyang player, adding that the team aimed to showcase both the spirit of Luoyang football and the city's energetic and friendly image.
"Our football team brought performances with distinctive features of Luoyang, with the aim of promoting win-win cooperation between the two places," said Shang Fenghui, director of the culture and tourism bureau of Laocheng district, adding that the district had been planning the event since the beginning of this year.
