By Sylvie Wu
Published August 31, 2025
Recently, the buzzword “Friendship first, competition fourteenth” has gone viral on Chinese social media. This phrase originated from the 2025 Jiangsu Football City League, known as the “Suchao,” where all 13 prefecture-level cities in Jiangsu participated, fielding 13 teams in total. Surprisingly, this regional competition has grown into a nationwide phenomenon. It is not only a sporting event but also an economic feast, carrying deep regional identity and the cultural genes of its cities.
Figure 1. Scene from the Suchao League
During the initial six rounds of the Suchao league (5.10 to 7.7), there was a total service revenue of 37.96 billion CNY (≈5.22 billion USD) over five sectors—tourism, transportation, catering, lodging, and sports—which is a 42.7% year-over-year rise, corresponding to the reports of Jiangsu Province’s National Economic and Social Development for the First Half of 2025. Su Chao’s explosive popularity also fueled the province’s cultural and tourism consumption—reaching 6.557 billion CNY (≈ 918 million USD) during the first two days of this year’s Dragon Boat Festival from UnionPay Business, accounting for 10.8% of the national total, and maintaining the No. 1 position in China. Meituan Travel data shows that from June 3–8, immediately after the Dragon Boat Festival, the number of scenic spot reservations in Jiangsu increased by 305% year-on-year. According to estimates by experts, the entire Suchao season is expected to generate a comprehensive economic benefit of over 300 million CNY (≈ 42 million USD).
The reasons behind such success can be summarized as follows. First, Jiangsu Province is the only province in China implementing a full-scale secondary fiscal system. This means that after prefecture-level cities submit taxes to the central government, they do not need to resubmit them to the provincial treasury. This policy ensures balanced economic development. Even the weakest prefecture-level city ranks 69th in GDP nationwide. Meanwhile, the richest city in Jiangsu, Suzhou, has a GDP only 5.73 times that of the weakest, Lianyungang. In comparison, the richest city in Guangdong Province has a GDP 28.3 times that of its weakest. This balance gives every city the strength and motivation to compete fiercely.
Second, the Suchao transformed historical conflicts and culture into a vivid modern IP through football. A famous Chinese historical tale, the “Chu-Han Contention” (206–202 BCE), described the war between Xiang Yu, the King of XiChu, and Liu Bang—the eventual founder of the Han dynasty. Xiang Yu was from Suqian (in Jiangsu), while Liu Bang’s hometown was Xuzhou (also in Jiangsu). There was a chance for the residents of these two places to compete again—this time on the football field. Moreover, the local delicacies became cultural ambassadors for each city. These symbolic practices are in fact modern expressions rooted in traditional Chinese culture. Remarkably, the event turned inter-city rivalry into shared prosperity. For example, after the Changzhou team lost to Yangzhou in Suchao, it surprisingly responded by opening 40 scenic spots for Yangzhou citizens to visit free of charge. While other provinces still debate over which city should dominate, Jiangsu has turned competition into mutual prosperity.
Figure 2. Chinese traditional culture — the “Chu–Han Contention”
Furthermore, the local governments introduced various measures to stimulate spending. During matches, hotel bookings in host cities surged by launching fan-exclusive deals for these hotels; Changzhou offered a 9.9 CNY (≈ 1.39 USD) match ticket + pickled radish package, doubling the sales of local specialties; in Yancheng, spectators were given free egg pancakes, attracting ten thousand visitors and boosting local scenic spot tourism by 300% last year. The “one person watching football, the whole family goes sightseeing” fully activated Jiangsu’s consumption industry chain as 180,000 fans traveled across cities to watch matches.
In summary, Suchao’s success deeply originated in Jiangsu’s unique economic balance, the power of cultural heritage, and the spirit of urban honor. For other regions seeking to replicate this success, perhaps the greater step lies not in rivalry itself, but in how competition can be transformed into shared prosperity and how local culture can find its expression in modern times.
