The recently rising village football league in China, "Village Super League (VSL, also called Cun Chao in Chinese)," is competing with the country's top professional football league, the Chinese Super League (CSL), for attention, both on the internet and in real life.

Thanks to its festive atmosphere and frequent surprise world-class goal-scoring performances, the VSL, which is organized and played by locals in Rongjiang County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, has captured the attention of media, social platforms and even overseas stars.

On Weibo, China's Twitter-like social media platform, the hashtags and topics related to the VSL have garnered over 200 million views, and several videos of the league have received millions of likes on the short video platform Douyin.

"I want to say congratulations to 'Cun Chao' for all your success, for getting all the good results in football. I wish 'Cun Chao' all the very best for the future. I'm sure you gonna get better and better," former English football superstar Michael Owen said.

From May to July of this year, 20 teams from Rongjiang County are participating in the VSL tournament on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Divided into two groups, the teams will compete in round-robin matches and knockout stages, with the final scheduled for July 29.

The players in this village tournament come from diverse backgrounds. They are vendors, farmers, tilers, butchers and factory workers by profession, representing various ethnic groups, such as the Miao, Dong, Shui, Han, and Yao.

With free admission, thousands of spectators flock to the county's stadium for every match. The stands are often filled to capacity, with some people standing nearby or even squatting on the ground due to the lack of empty seats.

According to local government statistics, the average attendance of VSL matches has exceeded 10,000, putting it on par with the country's professional league, the CSL.

Before the games begin, representatives from each team's cheerleading squad, dressed in traditional ethnic costumes, carry local specialties on their shoulders, play the reed pipe and dance as they enter the field alongside the local football players. Spectators can also enjoy folk song and dance performances during halftime breaks.

The atmosphere at the venue is so electric that renowned Chinese sports TV commentator Han Qiaosheng had to climb a ladder to provide commentary.

Han said despite covering numerous sports events, including the FIFA World Cup and the Olympics, he found the village super league in Rongjiang to be unique and entertaining.

The VSL is just the latest rural sports phenomenon that has swept China.

A village basketball tournament, known as "the Village Basketball Association (VBA)," has also made a significant impact among netizens and offline.

Insiders attribute the immense popularity of VBA and VSL, which are both held in Guizhou, to the fact that these tournaments truly belong to the local people and foster a sense of community.

"VBA and VSL represent a vibrant lifestyle filled with rural enjoyment. They are the result of the country's rural revitalization campaign, and in turn, will contribute to rural revitalization," Qin Chuan, a columnist for a Wuhan-based newspaper, said.

Taking advantage of the VSL craze, the Rongjiang County government is developing local tourism and the economy, much like Taipan County with VBA.

(With input from agencies)

Video edited by Yang Yiren