While people are still reliving the joy of the recently concluded village super league, Rongjiang county has kick-started a new round of soccer matches on Sunday.

Four matches were arranged for the first day, with the first one played between Rongjiang and Hong Kong. The first match will become the beginning of many friendly communications in the future as the county seeks to tap into the development momentum of the Greater Bay Area.

In following months, over 270 teams from different cities and counties across China are expected to get together and compete in the remote county in southwest China. With a theme of delicious food, the audience will not only see passionate soccer players sweating on the pitch, but also taste delicacies from those players' hometown.

Each team is named after a local specialty, ranging from local agricultural products to various dishes and snacks, so scrolling through the team list feels like looking at a menu.

In addition to game results, head coach of the Guilin team Zhao Wenbo said what his team cares most is to let people know about the soccer and food culture in Guilin, a scenic city in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The newly formed team, called Guilin Rice Noodles, held its first training in the city sports center on Saturday.

Zhao said rice noodles are a key industry and a cultural symbol of Guilin. He hopes the players could bring more popularity to the delicacy with their performance in the rural soccer games.

The whole summer, grassroots soccer matches in Rongjiang have been going viral on Chinese social media. The matches got the nickname of "cunchao" - or village super league - a playful reference to the country's top professional league, the Chinese Super League. The attention reached its peak in late July when two village teams competed in the final for prizes sponsored by local villagers, including ox, lamb and pig.

Located in southeast Guizhou Province, Rongjiang is home to 16 ethnic groups. Over 80 percent of Rongjiang's residents are from minority ethnic groups. Between soccer matches, local villagers showcased their rich ethnic diversity through performances and parades.

National attention has opened up possibilities for economic growth in the obscure county, which was one of the last counties in China to be lifted out of poverty in 2020. But this summer, social media frenzy has turned it into one of China's hottest tourist destinations.

From mid-May to late July, the operating income of the county's accommodation industry has surpassed 37 million yuan (about $5 million), an year-on-year increase of over 170 percent. So far, Rongjiang has attracted more than 2.5 million tourists this summer, earning a tourism income of 2.8 billion yuan.

Speaking of the secrets behind the boom, county head Xu Bo said Rongjiang wouldn't make it without the joint effort of the local residents. The 37-year-old came to the county in 2021, and witnessed how it failed again and again in exploring a development path in the past several years.

Rongjiang boasts a strong sports culture. Xu says that soccer took root in Rongjiang over 80 years ago and large-scale village soccer matches have been held for over a decade. In 2021, the county was chosen as one of the first batch of national pilot spots to develop the sport.

Xu said the active participation of local residents is the most important reason why Rongjiang can boost local tourism with sport events. They are not only soccer players, but also performers and volunteers who provide services for tourists.

Meanwhile, Rongjiang has been getting ready for the chance as well. The mountainous county has convenient transportation, thanks to a high-speed train station, expressways to larger cities and highways between villages. Besides high-speed trains, the provincial capital of Guiyang also has a direct passenger shuttle bus route to Rongjiang.

Xu described Rongjiang as a kind, but little-known student in the classroom with poor academic performance. "Under the spotlight, the county wants to share its best with others," said Xu.

Still, in the beginning, the county could not receive the amount of curious tourists who suddenly swarmed in. Help and support from nearby counties, such as Congjiang, Libo, and Liping came in time, providing accommodation and catering services.

During the past months, agricultural products and locally produced handicrafts have sold particularly well. Xu hopes that the Guizhou village super league can be a brand that drives development of transportation, tourism and other industries across the whole province.

The village super league provides a chance for Rongjiang and the outside world to know each other, Xu said, and the event will eventually contribute to the development of local economy and rural revitalization.

Xu is not worried about whether the economic benefits can be sustained. As long as there are people who love watching soccer, Rongjiang will have its opportunities.