Football fever is sweeping across northeast China as local authorities in Jilin Province look to tap into the growing passion for a popular provincial tournament by launching a new summer consumption initiative to stimulate the vitality of the consumer market.

The 2026 Northeast China City Football League, dubbed the "Northeast Super League", is one of a number of regional leagues to have sprung up in China that has captured the imagination of local fans.

With an average player age of around 22, the tournament boasts a youth-focused squad structure aimed at providing vital competitive experience for rising talent, and its appeal has been widespread as residents look to proudly cheer on their home teams.

To make the matches more accessible, especially for fans unable to attend the stadiums in person, organizers have set up 100 viewing venues in core business areas, commercial complexes, specialty blocks, hotels and cinemas across nine regions in Jilin Province.

While creating a passionate atmosphere as people gather to watch the action unfold on these big screens, the initiative has also boosted consumption in those areas by drawing out more potential customers who are keen to spend.

"The event has effectively driven growth in both sales and customer traffic at shopping malls. Weekend sales increased by 17 percent year on year, while customer traffic rose by around 11 percent," said Gu Xuan, the marketing manager of a shopping mall.

The initiative also offers further incentives, such as allowing consumers to enjoy exclusive discounts at more than 200 key commercial enterprises across Jilin simply by presenting their match tickets, or their flight or train tickets to Changchun, the provincial capital.