How Cun Chao & village galas show new heights in China's rural revitalization

Editor's note: The year 2025 marks the final year China implements its 14th Five-Year Plan. Over the past five years, from technological innovation to green development, from rural revitalization to a tightly knit high-speed rail network, the Chinese people have experienced remarkable transformation in their daily lives. To reflect on and celebrate the shared progress among the Chinese nation, CGTN presents "Our Nation, Our Home: A Five-Year Journey" series. This is the sixth article in the series. Guo Lihua, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a professor at the School of Economics under the Central University for Nationalities. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

In May 2023, a small county in southwest China's Guizhou Province, Rongjiang, suddenly became a nationwide sensation due to an extraordinary football match. The players on the field were butchers, bricklayers and college graduates returning home from the cities. Cheering from the sidelines were local villagers carrying their locally produced and raised fragrant rice, miniature pigs and mountain lambs. On the stands, cheerleaders from ethnic groups such as the Miao and Dong dressed in traditional costumes performed spirited folk songs and dances, setting the crowd ablaze with excitement.

This was China's Village Super League, also known as Cun Chao – a grassroots sports festival organized entirely by local villagers, brimming with rustic charm and pure joy.

At the same time, a wave of "village galas," locally staged Spring Festival performances, was sweeping across China's rural areas. Farmers put aside their tools and stepped onto makeshift stages, turning ancestral folk songs and everyday stories from the fields into heartfelt performances. Though not professionally produced, these shows moved audiences with their authenticity and deep connection to the land.

The phenomenal popularity of both the Village Super League and village galas vividly reflects the achievements of China's rural revitalization efforts. Rooted in local culture and full of everyday vitality, these cultural and sporting events embody the philosophy that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."

Behind their rise lies the success of the Green Rural Revival Program, a national initiative launched under the 14th Five-Year Plan to improve rural living conditions by renovating approximately 10,000 incorporated villages in five years, and by transforming about 1,000 of that number that were classed as central villages into examples of moderate prosperity in all respects. Together, they showcase a new height reached in the building of a beautiful and harmonious countryside that is desirable to live and work in.

These achievements cannot be made without the following factors.

First of all, thriving industries form the cornerstone of development. The flourishing of cultural and sports activities is inseparable from a solid economic foundation, and, in turn, such vitality reinforces the prosperity of local industries.

The year 2024 marked a milestone for China's tourism market, especially for high-quality rural tourism, with domestic trips reaching 5.615 billion, an increase of 14.8 percent year on year. This massive flow of visitors not only fulfilled people's desire for leisure and exploration but also embodied the value of China's green push, which states that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets."

Following the nationwide popularity of the Cun Chao, Rongjiang county alone received over 9.46 million visitors in 2024, generating a comprehensive tourism revenue of more than 10.8 billion yuan, or about $1.51 billion. The influx of tourists gave a strong boost to local accommodation and catering businesses. At the same time, live-streaming sales helped local specialties such as local rice and luo han guo fruit reach markets across the country.

By closely linking football with rural tourism, ethnic culture and local industries, this grassroots event successfully transformed spectator traffic into tangible economic growth, turning cultural enthusiasm into sustainable development momentum.

Secondly, a livable environment is a prerequisite. Clean villages and well-developed facilities are the cornerstones of rural revitalization. During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China's rural living environment continued to improve.

According to China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, by the end of 2024, 75 percent of China's rural households had access to sanitary toilets and over 90 percent of administrative villages had established stable waste collection and disposal systems. Many villages have undergone a remarkable transformation, becoming cleaner, greener and more beautiful. These infrastructure upgrades vividly reflect progress toward livability and lay the preconditions for prosperity and harmony in rural communities.

Thirdly, equal access to public services serves as a safeguard. At the heart of the strategy of building a beautiful and harmonious countryside lies the people themselves. Over the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China continued to extend public services to rural areas, ensuring that rural residents enjoy the same benefits as those in cities.

The integration of urban and rural education has significantly improved school conditions in the countryside; the building of closely integrated medical and health consortia at the county level has made quality healthcare accessible close to home; and an ever-improving rural elderly care system ensures that older villagers can enjoy a life with security and dignity.

Meanwhile, comprehensive cultural service centers now cover nearly all townships across the nation, with village libraries and public squares becoming standard community features. This inclusive, equitable and shared public service system has greatly strengthened villagers' sense of identity, belonging and well-being.

Last but not least, effective governance is the driving force from within. The success of Cun Chao and village galas owes much to efficient grassroots governance and the villagers' self-motivated participation.

Rather than taking full control, the local government of Rongjiang assumed the roles of facilitator and guardian, while villagers themselves managed the event organization, team operations and performance arrangements. This model embodies the valuable experience of the Green Rural Revival Program – always upholding people's central role, respecting and unleashing their creativity. It is precisely this spirit that has brought to life such vibrant, community-driven cultural celebrations, brimming with grassroots vitality and self-organizing energy.

The Cun Chao and village galas together tell a compelling new story about rural China. It is a story of thriving industries, picturesque landscapes, convenient public services and, most importantly, the cultural confidence and spiritual identity of farmers themselves.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, as the rural revitalization strategy has advanced further and the rural economy's structure has been continuously optimized, the living conditions of rural residents have seen remarkable improvement.

China's countryside is gradually shedding its long-held image of decline and moving steadily toward a grand vision of a beautiful, livable and prosperous countryside – a place where people can live and work in harmony and with hope.

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