Chongqing - Football is often associated with professional leagues, star players and high-stakes competition. In Chongqing, however, the game has taken on a more inclusive and human-centered form.
The Chongqing Yuchao Football League, commonly known as “Yuchao,” is a grassroots football league open to the wider public. With affordable ticket prices and easy access to matches, the league has become a popular gathering point for residents across the city. Workers, students and families come together not only to watch football, but to share a collective urban experience shaped by participation and enthusiasm.
This short documentary centers on the Jiulongpo District's Xinyuan Panda Team, a squad made up largely of young players, many of whom are still students. Among them are two representatives of different generations. Guo Tao, one of the senior players on the team, balances his work in logistics with more than twenty years of commitment to football. Xiao Pengbo, a young coach working with kindergarten and primary school students, embodies the idea of passing the game on, guiding the next generation through training and example.
Their stories reflect more than individual passion. Through moments of hard-fought matches, narrow defeats and renewed determination, the video captures the values shared by players and fans alike—teamwork, resilience and respect. In Chongqing, football is not defined solely by results. It is a shared language of everyday life, revealing the spirit of a city shaped by ordinary people and their enduring love for the game.
(Liu Yiting, Tan Liying, as interns, also contributed to this report.)