Mass Football Events Like "SuChao" Gain Popularity, Advocating Integration of Sports and Culture

In recent years, mass football events such as "SuChao" (Jiangsu Super League) have been gaining increasing popularity across the country. A National People’s Congress (NPC) deputy and women’s football coach at the Shanghai Sports School has also watched "SuChao" matches in Yancheng, expressing great shock at the enthusiastic atmosphere.

"Every time I watch a match, I am deeply impressed — the game starts at around 7 pm, but audiences begin to arrive as early as 4 pm," she said. "The atmosphere is just like a festival: the entire venue is gradually filled with crowds, who chat and laugh together while waiting for the game to start." She added that apart from large-scale events like the World Cup, it is rare to see tens of thousands of people gathering to watch a match in China.

"It encourages more ordinary people to walk into the stadium and many parents to bring their children to experience the competitive atmosphere," she noted. "Through such experiences, children gradually develop a love for sports, which is probably the most touching significance of sports."

In her view, the popularity of "SuChao" lies not only in the matches themselves but also in its successful in-depth integration of culture, tourism, commerce, sports and exhibitions. This experience is worthy of being replicated and promoted nationwide.

She believes that on the one hand, we should deepen the integration of "events + cultural tourism" and convert event traffic into economic growth. Drawing on the experience of "SuChao", we should develop events into city festivals, extend the viewing time and enrich supporting activities to attract tourists to "travel with events", drive comprehensive consumption such as catering, accommodation and shopping in surrounding areas, and let the event economy benefit more people.

On the other hand, we can explore the cultural heritage of cities and tell city stories through the window of events. Shanghai boasts profound red cultural heritage and a unique Shanghai-style cultural charm. She suggested subtly integrating red scenic spots and Shanghai-style cultural experiences into event route design and fan activities, allowing participants to deeply understand the city’s history and features while feeling the passion of sports, and achieving cultural identity of "traveling to a city for a match".

Furthermore, she hopes that the popular mass events can inspire young people’s love for sports. More professional athletes should be encouraged to go to the grassroots and participate in promotion, guiding young people to engage in sports through the power of role models, cultivating more outstanding reserve sports talents for Shanghai and even the whole country, and forming a virtuous cycle where mass sports and competitive sports promote each other.