A nationwide basketball competition in China's mountainous village

IC

The villagers of Taipan in Taijiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, never anticipated that they would host a nationwide basketball competition in their remote village.

On Tuesday night, the Village Basketball Competition of China, known as "CunBA," was initiated in this mountainous village, drawing thousands of spectators to the site.

The competition began after sunset. Yet, many spectators disregarded the brilliant summer sunshine, arriving at the basketball court in the early afternoon to secure seats. Those who couldn't gain court access perched on ladders and rooftops to watch the action.

Basketball enjoys a rich history in the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, where Taipan Village is located. Initially, basketball games were a part of the Miao ethnic harvest festival celebrations in the sixth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, a tradition dating back to 1936.

Last summer, Taipan Village's amateur basketball event gained nationwide attention due to its festive atmosphere and popularity, rivaling the CBA, the country's leading professional basketball league.

To address villagers' fitness needs, a nationwide village basketball competition was launched, aiming to inspire villagers across the country to form basketball teams representing their respective townships or villages.

At the unveiling of "CunBA," the village basketball team of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture played a friendly match with their counterparts from the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, located in northwest China's Gansu Province.

"Friends traveled over a thousand kilometers to our village. Let's welcome them most enthusiastically," said Wang Zaigui, an amateur sports commentator and Taipan villager, at the competition site.

Following Wang's lead, the crowd enthusiastically cheered for the basketball team from Gansu Province.

Ma Xiaolin, captain of Linxia's village basketball team, was overwhelmed by the local villagers' fervor. "The basketball atmosphere here is outstanding, surpassing many other major basketball events. The local customs and festive atmosphere have left a deep impression on me," said Ma.

Former Chinese men's and women's basketball teams' head coach, Gong Luming, was invited to watch the competition. "This is the grassroots culture that we should cling to," said Gong.

The success of "CunBA" has not only brought fame to Taipan Village but also stimulated cultural and tourism development in rural areas.

According to county government statistics, Tuesday's competition attracted over 30,000 tourists to the village and surrounding areas, generating a total tourism income of 35 million yuan (about $4.87 million).

Liu Yudong, former Chinese men's basketball professional player, said that the popularity of "CunBA" is due not only to basketball but also the culture behind it.

Some tourists from outside the province are reluctant to leave. "We watched the village football competition last weekend, and plan to watch the dragon boat races in the upcoming days," said Gang Zhanrui, a tourist from northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. He intends to experience all the festive activities in the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture.

Gang and three other tourists all hail from Heilongjiang and arrived in Guizhou in late March for the finals of the Guizhou "Gorgeous Countryside" Basketball League in Taipan Village. Since then, they've fallen in love with the prefecture, establishing a factory while planning in-depth travel.

The finals of "CunBA" are set to occur in Taijiang this coming October, according to the organizers. "This is an opportunity and a challenge. We'll continue to improve the infrastructure and service. Let's wait and see the changes in Taipan Village," said Tang Ying, director of the county's Culture, Sports, Radio, TV and Tourism Bureau.