How an amateur football league in China took off
Can the host keep up the momentum?
Rongjiang County, tucked away in the rainy hills of south-west China, has little going for it at first glance. The grey tiles covering houses in the county seat give it a rather drab feel. The area was one of the last in China to be declared free of extreme poverty. Locals often have to find work elsewhere, travelling to distant factories and construction sites. In 2019 a video went viral of three young children in Rongjiang begging their migrant-worker parents to stay with them.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Score one for the countryside”
From the August 26th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from China
China approves the world’s most expensive infrastructure project
It has China’s neighbours on edge
Xi Jinping has much to worry about in 2025
A struggling economy, rising social tensions and Donald Trump will test China’s leader
How China turns members of its diaspora into spies
America is on the hunt for these non-traditional agents. But its efforts risk backfiring
How to get a free meal in China
As the economy slows, more restaurants are offering food to those in need
China’s economy is in for another rough year
Bold action is needed to turn things around
Chinese hackers are deep inside America’s telecoms networks
Rooting them out is proving a challenge