The grassroots soccer league in northeast China, popularly dubbed the "Northeast Super League", has helped promote the integration of sports, culture and tourism, vigorously boost consumption and support regional economic growth.

Officially called “The 2026 Northeast China City Football League,” an eight-team amateur competition spanning the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang, plus the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, opened simultaneously in Shenyang, Changchun, Harbin and Hohhot, the capitals of the three provinces and region.
Teams from eight cities are competing. Nearly 400 amateur athletes have been selected to represent their hometowns in the inaugural competition. These athletes include students, delivery workers, company employees, and sports and entertainment personalities. Referees are being assisted by video technology to ensure fair play.
The combined onsite attendance across the four venues exceeded 100,000, with all tickets selling out days before kickoff. In Shenyang alone, the ticket lottery success rate was just 30.6 percent.
Host cities are rolling out creative initiatives to attract tourists and boost consumption. More than 100 tourist attractions are offering free admission or discounts to ticket holders and visiting fans. To support fan travel, dedicated trains and charter flights have been introduced.
More than 10,000 businesses are participating in related tourism and consumer promotion programs.
"I've been deeply impressed by the incredible enthusiasm of the fans. I also brought a special performance inspired by the Monkey King, Sun Wukong. Together with more than 300 children, we performed a street dance routine to ignite young people's passion and energy. I hope friends from across the country can experience the sporting spirit of Changchun and also appreciate the perseverance embodied by Sun Wukong - the never-give-up attitude that inspires us all," said Wang Qingfeng, a player from Changchun Team, and also sports promotion ambassador.
"I hope more people across China will get to know Northeast China and my hometown of Liaoning through the Northeast Super League. I also hope that leagues like this and the Jiangsu City Football League will inspire more people to get involved and lead healthier lives," said Yin He, a football fan from Shenyang.
The inaugural Northeast Super League features 34 matches and will run through early October.