The inaugural season of the Gansu Football Super League (Lóng Chāo) has commenced, marking a significant moment for grassroots football in the province.
Following the nationwide popularity of local football tournaments like the "Sū Chāo" and "Dōngběi Chāo," which have brought the sport back to communities and pure passion, a wave of全民 participation in playing and watching football is sweeping across regions. Amid the summer fervor, the exclusive football carnival for Gansu fans began with the opening match of the 2026 Gansu Football Super League in Gannan Prefecture on the evening of June 13th.
As the highest-level and most extensive local top-tier amateur football event in Gansu Province, this season's "Lóng Chāo" features 52 home-and-away matches. It brings together 16 teams representing 14 prefectures/cities, Lanzhou New Area, and provincial-level units. The participants include干部职工 and基层 football enthusiasts from various industries across the province, showcasing the全民 nature of the sport.
The opening ceremony that night was rich in ethnic characteristics, with歌舞 and民俗 performances highlighting the snowy plateau风情 and the融合 of multiple ethnic groups in Gannan. Following the ceremony, the inaugural match kicked off between the Gannan and Dingxi representative teams. Capitalizing on home advantage, the Gannan team scored within the first minute, an exciting moment that ignited the atmosphere and brought热血沸腾 to the high-altitude赛场.
Gannan Prefecture has a solid sports foundation, with football long being a distinctive feature of its athletic development. The first-time hosting of the "Lóng Chāo" on the snowy plateau is set to further fuel the全民 football热潮. Yang Zhenlin, Deputy Party Secretary and Governor of Gannan Prefecture, expressed hopes that all teams would uphold the sporting spirit of "friendship first, competition second," using football to凝聚 strength, demonstrate the拼搏 spirit of Gansu, and promote exchanges and integration among different ethnic groups.
As Gansu's first provincial-level football超级联赛, this season's "Lóng Chāo" features comprehensive innovations in event presentation, public services, and industry empowerment, significantly enhancing the spectator experience. The league introduced a new emblem and mascot named "Lóng Bàobào" to build a local football cultural IP. The emblem is based on the cursive script character for "Gān" (甘), incorporating elements of the Silk Road and黄河 culture. The mascot's原型 is the snow leopard from the Qilian Mountains, and its name寓意 taking root in Gansu and striving团结 together, with its lively image契合 the拼搏 spirit of sports.
Gansu,承载着丝路 and黄河文明, possesses a profound football heritage and enduring passion for the sport. From the achievements of the Gansu Tianma team in 1999, to the unexpected victory of Jingchuan Wenhui over Beijing Guoan in 2022, and the return of the professional Lanzhou Longyuan竞技 team in 2025 alongside the火热 launch of the "Lóng Chéng厂超," football in Gansu has been accumulating strength through沉淀 and坚守.
Dong Anning, Director of the Gansu Provincial Sports Bureau, stated that in recent years, grassroots football has flourished at multiple points across the province. The "Village Super" Gansu selection赛走进乡镇村落, activating乡村 football活力, while the "Lóng Chéng厂超" focuses on职场 groups, sparking a city-wide踢球热潮. The atmosphere of全民参与 in足球运动 is becoming increasingly浓厚.
Currently, the football赛事体系 in Gansu is becoming increasingly完善, with覆盖人群持续拓宽. The province has successively launched over ten public events including the "Lóng Chéng厂超" and county-level乡村足球 tournaments.青少年足球培育 is steadily advancing, with 34 provincial-level青少年足球赛事落地 over four years, involving 427 teams and nearly 9,000 young players, continuously储备后备人才 for local football development.
From乡村草根赛场 to城市职场联赛, the成熟的 football赛事体系 has积淀了深厚的群众基础和办赛经验 for Gansu's顶级足球盛会. The kickoff of the inaugural 2026 "Lóng Chāo" not only brought over 15,000 fans together现场 but is also enabling more and more people to站上绿茵赛场,诠释热爱 through奔跑.