From January 6 to 10, 2025, under the guidance of the Tsinghua University Latin America Center and jointly organized by the Center for Global Competence Development of Tsinghua University and the Department of Hydraulic Engineering from the same university, a group of young individuals from China and Latin America gathered in Rongjiang, Guizhou, for a meaningful journey of exchange and practice. Driven by curiosity for one another’s cultures and enthusiasm for exploring global poverty alleviation practices, they immersed themselves in this vibrant land, engaging in a unique and enriching four-day experience.
I. Research and Dialogue: In-depth exploration of Rongjiang’s development and its poverty alleviation practices
1. Preliminary Briefings and Knowledge Sharing
On the morning of January 7, the team held its first preparatory meeting, chaired by team member Cai Baihui. Fan Jiwei, doctoral student from the School of Economics and Management introduced the "5W1H+" model as a tool for poverty alleviation work and explained its key mechanisms. Then, Cai Baihui, Fábio Augusto, and Francisco Molina shared the experiences of the Chinese, Brazilian, and Chilean teams and reviewed the accomplishments of the China-Latin America Youth Challenge to Alleviate Poverty. Later, Xia Xinyu provided an overview of Rongjiang and the “Cun Chao” (Village Super League) model, offering the team a preliminary look into the two. After the talk was over, they set course for Rongjiang.
2. Research on Village Industries of Dong Ethnic
On the morning of January 8, the team visited the Dong villages of Zaidang and Fengteng to study the local blue dyeing industry. This technique has a history of more than 2,000 years and was inscribed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2014. In the context of rural revitalization, it has become a key pillar of the local creative industry.
Villagers explained that Dong fabrics are handwoven, and the indigo dye is extracted from local medicinal herbs such as isatis from the local mountainous areas. The process includes immersion dyeing, drying, and beating to produce vibrant patterns and colors, which are then crafted into traditional ethnic garments.
In addition, the local community invites designers from Guangdong, Macau and Hong Kong to participate in cultural innovation, enhancing traditional crafts with modern inspiration, and sells jewelry, dolls and stationery and other products with blue dye elements through e-commerce platforms, expanding income avenues for intangible cultural heritage bearers.
In the afternoon, the team visited Dali, a Dong village 25 kilometers from downtown Rongjiang, to study local tourism and lodging. The river passes through the mountain in the village, the hanging wooden buildings are stacked up against the shore, and five flower bridges are distributed inside and outside the village. In 2013, the ancient architecture of Dali Dong Village was selected as a national key cultural relics protection unit.
The town’s leader explained how Dali Dong Village had taken full advantage of local and foreign investment to build tourist accommodations of various styles. The next step would focus on improving the level of service and reception to serve for the tourist flow generated by the “Cun Chao”, creating more employment opportunities and increasing income.
On the morning of January 9, they visited Qishierzhai in Leli Township. In recent years, local entrepreneurs have returned to the homeland to invest, and have led local villagers to build iconic cultural and tourism scenes such as the “loneliest football stadium in the world”, a 50,000-seat bullfighting arena and the Dong Ethnic Cultural transmission Institute around bullfighting and football culture, in response to various needs such as team competitions, sightseeing tours and cultural studies.
As the ‘Cun Chao’ attracts more visitors to the area, villagers hope to continue to tell the story of bullfighting and reveal the ethnic characteristics, governance experience and ecological wisdom, so as to promote the cultural tourism industry to achieve profound and sustainable development.
In the afternoon, the team visited Rongjiang New Media Industrial Park and Rongjiang Supermedia Industrial Park. There, the staff introduced that Rongjiang County responded to General Secretary Xi Jinping's instruction to “seize new opportunities in the implementation of digital economy strategy” during his visit to Guizhou, and took the initiative by proposing slogans such as turning cell phones into “new agricultural tools”, and provided free training courses on new media operation for local people , forming about 40,000 presenters and generating 12,800 streaming accounts.
In terms of positioning, the new media industrial park is led by the Rongjiang County working group, responsible for organizing and coordinating the work of new media at the county and village level, providing support in the training of presenters, cultural and tourism outreach, online sales, etc.; the super media industrial park is led by the company, and through the experience of featured products, the development of brand image and the creation of communication space, etc., will transform the traffic flow of “Cun Cha” into sustainable dynamic energy to promote the development of local industries.
3. In-Depth Dialogue and Experience Sharing
On the evening of January 8, a discussion was held at the "Cun Chao Yizhan" (Village Super League Station) beside the stadium. Rao Wenhao from the county committee Office gave a detailed presentation on the “Cun Chao” model. Present at the event were Professor Chen Taotao, Director of Tsinghua Latin America Center, and Professor Xiang Zhiqian from the Center for Global Competence Development participated. Xia Xinyu and Cai Baihui provided interpretation.
During Mr. Rao's presentation, many heartfelt stories were shared about Cun Chao, showing that it truly is the “football of the people". He explained how the initiative boosts local economic development and promotes cultural exchange and expressed his hopes that in the future more people would know of Rongjiang and come to visit.
During the exchange session that followed, the members of the team shared how deeply moved they were by the spontaneous support shown by the local population for the Village Super League. They also raised questions such as why football had been chosen as the entry point to promote the town. In response, Mr. Rao explained that prior to the Super League, Rongjiang had made five previous attempts at raising awareness, but none had succeeded for various reasons. It wasn’t until the final of the 2023 Village Super League, when locals brought a bull as the prize for the winning team, that people were struck by its connection to the general public, and the related video quickly went viral. It was then that the government realized football could be a viable path forward. More importantly, Rongjiang has always had a strong football culture. With the active participation and spontaneous promotion by Rongjiang people, the town finally carved out a space for itself through football.
On the evening of January 9, Mr. Xu Bo, Secretary of the Rongjiang County Party Committee and Mayor of Rongjiang County, arrived with his delegation at the Cun Chao Station next to the stadium and had a deep discussion and exchange of ideas with the professors and students present. Professor Chen Taotao engaged in the discussion, with team member Chen Sihan serving as an on-site interpreter.
Secretary Xu Bo pointed out that the success of Cun Chao in emerging from obscurity is the result of Rongjiang’s path of integrated innovation. Through repeated processes of learning, reflection, practical exploration, and the systematization of experience, Rongjiang County has developed a comprehensive model for Cun Chao, built on key elements, including: a prominent traditional culture, a beautiful ecological environment, authentic local cuisine, an atmosphere of citizen participation, and the empowerment of digital technology.
Cun Chao sets itself apart from professional football and existing commercial leagues by staying true to its grassroots origins: it is “football of the people,” “cultural football” that showcases the spirit of the people of Rongjiang, and, above all, a “football of happiness” that conveys truth, goodness, and beauty to the country and the world.
Looking ahead, Rongjiang County also plans to promote events such as a “Cun Chao World Cup” to encourage people-to-people exchange through football and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind.
During the exchange session, team members raised questions such as how the Cun Chao league has contributed to the prosperity of the local population and how academic research results from universities could support poverty alleviation. Secretary Xu Bo stated that the key to the Cun Chao’s success lies in adhering to the principle of people-centered development.
The stage of “Cun Chao” is filled with the most ordinary people, who bring their own costumes and food to support this iniciative.. At the same time, Rongjiang County has combined advanced new media technologies with the realities of the local population’s productive and daily life, encouraging residents to record and share their real-life experiences, thereby fostering participation from people across the country.
As a result, the league's achievements have been returned to the people of Rongjiang through revenue sharing, boosting local industries, and more, presenting a model of rural revitalization defined by “pursuing development through entertainment, building brands and achieving prosperity”.
II. Mutual understanding of Civilizations: Youth from China and Latin America Meet Through Football, Discovering the Charm of the Dong Ethnicity and the Passion of the Sport
In the broader context of cultural exchange, youth from China and Latin America embarked on a unique journey of mutual learning between civilizations, with football as their bridge.
On January 6, students from Chile and Brazil, accompanied by the Tsinghua team, visited the Great Wall and Jingshan Park, admiring the central axis of Beijing and experiencing a deep cultural immersion.
On the morning of January 7, the students visited the “Corner of Geology”, the on-campus Geology Museum at Tsinghua University. It serves as a practical teaching base for the courses “Engineering Geology” in the School of Civil and Hydraulic Engineering, as well as the elective “The Earth and the Human Environment”. In addition, it plays a role in science education and holds scenic value.
On the evening of January 9, an energetic friendly football match was held with great enthusiasm on the Cun Chao Super League field. The China–Latin America youth team, made up of Latin American visitors, Tsinghua University students, and local students from Rongjiang, played an exciting match against a local league team. At 7:30 p.m., all members of the group arrived at the stadium. As they emerged from the players’ tunnel, they received once again the “welcome wine at the door”. Just before the match began, the players warmed up on the field while the rest of the group cheered from the stands. The Latin American students radiated excitement from the sidelines, enjoying the match as their teammates gave their all on the field in pursuit of the ball. After 90 minutes of intense play, the China–Latin America youth team drew 3–3 with the local team. The group members experienced firsthand the authentic spirit of grassroots football and were deeply moved by the vibrant football atmosphere in Rongjiang.
In addition, the team members also experienced the traditional culture of the Dong ethnic group, participating in activities such as drinking the “welcome wine in the door” and listening to traditional Dong songs. On January 8, they visited the Drum Tower of the village of Dali, a key site for the community gatherings of local residents. At the center of the Drum Tower, a large bonfire burned brightly, warding off the winter chill.The villagers formed two choirs, one male and one female, and with their simple and unique voices, conveyed to the visitors the charm of ethnic minority culture and the hospitality of the Dong people. At the end of the concert, still warmed by the bonfire, the group members headed to the square in front of the drum tower,, where a light drizzle was falling. Guided by the hospitable Dong villagers, they formed a circle and danced traditional dances. The festive atmosphere, like a blazing flame, instantly dispelled the winter cold.
The students from Chile and Brazil also engaged in a friendly exchange with local calligraphy artists in Rongjiang County. The artists wrote each student's name in Chinese, and the Latin American students marveled at the beauty of Chinese calligraphy, saying they would treasure this gift as a symbol of friendship between China and Latin America.
Through this series of activities, young people from China and Latin America not only sweated and showcased their skills on the football field, but also, under the influence of Dong culture, deepened their mutual understanding and strengthened their friendship. Together, they wrote a beautiful chapter of cultural exchange and mutual learning between civilizations.
Although the hands-on activities have come to an end, the “Cun Chao Super League” will continue in the expectation of Rongjiang’s 300,000 residents who yearn for a better life. The youth of China and Latin America will return to their respective campuses carrying with them the experience of poverty alleviation and the invaluable friendships forged in Rongjiang, ready to write a new chapter in the collective response to global challenges.
