Soccer fans in Northeast China are buzzing with excitement over the upcoming Northeast Football City League, or "Dongbeichao."
The event, jointly organized by the sports bureaus of Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, is set to officially kick off on May 23, with eight city representative teams competing on the field.
Officials said the league not only aligns with the peak season for cultural tourism but also aims to boost soccer in the Northeast while promoting integrated development of culture, sports, tourism, and commerce through an innovative schedule and strict participation standards.
"The event emphasizes city attributes, requiring each team to deeply root itself in its name, home ground operations, and community connections to strengthen citizens' sense of identity and honor," said Cao Yang, director of the Liaoning Provincial Sports Bureau. "Liaoning's Shenyang and Dalian, Jilin's Changchun and Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, Heilongjiang's Harbin and Jixi, and Inner Mongolia's Hohhot and Tongliao will compete under the banner of their cities."
Last summer's "phenomenal" event, dubbed the "Jiangsu Super League" or "Suchao," drew nearly 30,000 spectators per game on average and more than 2 billion live broadcast views.
According to the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Commerce, each 1 yuan spent on tickets generated 7.3 yuan in surrounding consumption.
In August, the General Office of the State Council issued opinions on promoting high-quality development of the sports industry, calling for cultivation of world-class sports events and setting a goal for the industry's total scale to exceed 7 trillion yuan by 2030.
"The northeast region has a broad base of grassroots soccer, a complete history of youth training systems, and a rich fan culture," said Shao Kai, director of the Institute of Sports Science at Shenyang Sport University. "With soccer strongholds like Shenyang, Dalian, and Changchun, the region has the foundation and strength to create a regional city soccer league."
"Unlike events confined to a single administrative region, the Northeast Football City League is China's first cross-provincial mass sports event," he added. "Its core value lies in breaking through administrative and regional barriers, filling the institutional gap for regular cross-regional leagues, and promoting deep integration and coordinated development of sports, culture, and the economy across the regions."
Different from traditional single-venue openings, the league will hold simultaneous ceremonies in the four capital cities—Shenyang, Changchun, Harbin, and Hohhot—followed by the opening match at the same time.
"The innovative arrangement will create strong promotional synergy, expand coverage and influence, and quickly ignite audience enthusiasm, laying the foundation for continuity and attention throughout the event," said Cao.
"As the Northeast's tourist season fully kicks off in mid-May, the league, coinciding with the peak of cultural tourism, will promote integration of culture, sports, tourism, and commerce, attract more tourists and fans, and boost the tourism economy of the cities along the route," Cao said. "Furthermore, the suitable temperature in Northeast China will not only ensure player performance but also enhance the spectator experience at the venue."
The league uses a single round-robin format, divided into two stages: the regular season from May 23 to August 15 and the knockout stage from September 5 to October 1. Matches will be scheduled on weekends, with no more than one round per week.
Participation standards are clear and strict. Players must be Chinese male citizens aged 16 to 40 and meet at least one of the following conditions: household registration, academic enrollment, local residence, or social security in the representative city. Players from the first teams of professional clubs in the Chinese Super League, China League One, and China League Two, including previously registered players, are prohibited from participating.
"The rules leave the stage for local soccer enthusiasts and non-professional players," said Cao. "The age limit ensures the vitality of the league and encourages more young players to engage in social soccer, providing backup talent for Northeast soccer."
The Shenyang team will select 50 outstanding players from the Liaoning Tieren Soccer Club, along with elite players from Shenyang Sport University, provincial soccer league teams, and amateur clubs.
"The training camp for all 65 players from the club is underway in Beihai in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, preparing for the final selection in early February," said Na Hongyu, deputy director of Shenyang Sports Development Center.
Home venue standards are also defined. Each team must have a fixed stadium, either natural grass or artificial turf, with complete lighting for night games and television broadcasts, and a spectator capacity generally no less than 20,000.
"Professional venue facilities directly reflect the professionalism of the event, allowing more people to experience the charm of Northeast soccer through the screen," Cao added.
