The Guangdong "Provincial Super League" kicked off flawlessly, with the Nansha Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center setting sail by the sea breeze.

Reported by Wang Wei. Spectators could watch the game, admire the sea scenery, feel the sea breeze, and display their flair. The comprehensive stadium at Guangzhou Nansha Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center celebrated its flawless "launch" with an exciting football event.

On the evening of August 23, the opening ceremony and first match of the "2025 Yili Guangdong Football Super League" (referred to as "Provincial Super League") were held at the Guangzhou Nansha Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center stadium. Over 25,000 passionate fans gathered at the geographic heart of the Greater Bay Area to cheer for football. In the end, the Wuchuan Youth Team defeated the Nansha Bay Area Youth Team 3-0.

This inaugural match of the Provincial Super League was the debut for the Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center stadium. It not only showcased a modern venue comparable to Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park and Dalian Suoyu Bay Football Stadium but also propelled Guangzhou Nansha into trending topics. Guangdong football legends like Qu Chuliang, Peng Weiguo, and Hu Zhijun attended and interacted with fans during halftime. Sports celebrities such as "Asia’s fastest man" Su Bingtian and former national team captain and Asian Footballer of the Year Fan Zhiyi also came to support the league.

Mr. Ho Chuen-ting, Chairman of the Hopewell Holdings Group and President of the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, who kicked off the inaugural match, said, "After the completion of Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park, the entire Hong Kong sports community was invigorated. Now that Nansha has the Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center, it will surely strive to host more international events across both regions in the future."

The Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center is a large-scale cultural and sports platform built to world-class standards, serving the Greater Bay Area community. It includes a 60,000-seat comprehensive stadium, a 20,000-seat multifunctional gymnasium, and a 4,000-seat swimming and diving arena.

Located at the southernmost tip of Guangzhou by Lingdingyang, this stadium is a model of architectural aesthetics and modern technology, destined to become an important window for Chinese sports events to go global.

The stadium’s exterior features a streamlined design inspired by a "folding fan on the sea." Its cantilevered roof covering 60,000 seats can withstand typhoons up to level 12, while a natural ventilation system cools the interior, creating a comfortable viewing environment during the hot summer in southern Guangdong. Notably, a 145-meter-wide panoramic window on the east side faces the Pearl River estuary, allowing spectators to enjoy the match and simultaneously take in the magnificent views of the Shen-Zhong Link, truly offering a unique experience of "watching the game and the sea in one frame."

During the Provincial Super League opening match, the reporter visited the "Sea View Window," where watching the game while enjoying the sea view was a wonderful experience. At halftime, coinciding with sunset, many spectators took photos by the seaside outside the stadium.

Many local Guangzhou spectators highly praised the stadium. "This stadium is great. Feeling the sea breeze, watching the sunset, with my wife and kids — it feels like a family trip," one spectator admitted. For him, this event was not only a sports experience but also a family leisure activity — the new stadium perfectly combines leisure and sports functions, enabling more citizens to feel how sports venues enrich daily life.

When centuries-old Cantonese culture is revitalized on the green pitch, the Provincial Super League opening match has long surpassed being just a game. It is a stage for the inheritance and innovation of Lingnan culture and the best platform for the entire Greater Bay Area to showcase its strength through sports.

At the opening ceremony, Liu Wei, member of the Guangzhou Municipal Party Committee and Secretary of the Nansha District Committee, stated: "Today marks the opening match of the Provincial Super League and the debut of the Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center stadium. We will use this event as an opportunity to accelerate the development of a strong sports district, build the Cultural and Sports Center into a key platform for promoting mass fitness, and continuously improve the 15-minute cultural and sports living circle, so that citizens can not only watch games but also participate in sports, not only enjoy the scenery but also show their talents right at their doorstep."

After the Provincial Super League opening match, several staff members from Nansha’s cultural, tourism, and sports bureau, who had been busy organizing the event, took a short rest on the field. "Today, we felt the first heartbeat of the Greater Bay Area’s new landmark together. Amid the sea breeze and cheers, we witnessed the new vitality of Bay Area sports!"

"This test of the venue was also a test of our event management capabilities and the development of our football grassroots. I feel we have achieved our planned goals," said Wu Jialiang, Deputy Director of the Nansha District Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, and Sports, after the match. "Of course, there are still many areas for improvement. If I were to score this event objectively, I would give it 80 points."

Li Jianjia, head coach of the Nansha Bay Area Youth Team, said after the match: "Playing here at the Nansha Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center felt like competing in one of the top five leagues!" Li Chuncheng, head coach of the Wuchuan Youth Team, commented that playing the Provincial Super League at this stadium was very enjoyable, calling it "a world-class stadium!"

Among the 16 teams in this Provincial Super League, one team official who had long worked at Guangzhou’s top football club expressed heartfelt feelings on-site: "For amateur players to play here on such a great pitch for their hometown people is truly fulfilling."

In June 2022, the State Council issued the "Overall Plan for Deepening Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Comprehensive Cooperation Facing the World in Guangzhou Nansha," assigning Nansha the important mission of building a major strategic platform based in the Bay Area, coordinating Hong Kong and Macao, and oriented toward the world. Currently, Nansha is advancing the "Five Ports Linkage" development strategy—sea port, airport, data port, financial port, and talent port—and constructing a modern coastal city. Recently, the 2025 "Centennial Famous Schools Cup," co-hosted by Football Magazine and Nansha’s cultural, tourism, and sports bureau, was successfully held at Guangzhou Youlian School and Hengli Civic Sports Park in Nansha, attracting nearly 400 coaches and players from 16 cities nationwide who experienced Nansha’s hospitality.

The annual Nansha Men’s Football League and Nansha "District BA" competition have become benchmark events for community sports. The slogans "My League, My NAN Jia" and "My League, My 'District BA'" have deeply resonated with the public.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Nansha’s establishment as a district. As Guangzhou’s youngest administrative district, Nansha is building a vibrant city that is livable and business-friendly under the concept of "a young city serving young people," creating a mutual journey between the young city and its young residents. Here, every inch of land grows opportunities, and every dream finds fertile ground. The commissioning of the Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center undoubtedly embodies the vitality of this new city.

Speaking of being by the sea and breeze, the Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center undoubtedly rivals Dalian’s Suoyu Bay Stadium in inspiring awe. The Suoyu Bay Stadium officially opened in 2023. When Dalian Yifang, then still in China League One, moved in, there was extensive local discussion. But the fact proved that a good stadium attracts endless vitality. Yifang rose from League One to the Chinese Super League, and Suoyu Bay went from League One’s highest attendance to the top attendance in the Super League.

Now, with a world-class stadium, Nansha District has formed the Nansha Bay Area Youth Team to compete in the Provincial Super League. In the future, Nansha hopes to establish or attract a professional team to settle here, achieving a breakthrough in professional football clubs. At that time, the Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center will surely realize a dream collaboration with professional football, creating a new hotspot for football spectatorship in South China.

The opening ceremony of the Guangdong Provincial Super League also attracted Mr. Ho Chuen-ting, who came specially to Nansha to kick off the match. Standing in such a beautiful stadium, Mr. Ho expressed his feelings as "stunning." "Having such excellent facilities certainly promotes sports development, especially football. With these impressive sports facilities, not only should high-level events be hosted here, but my friends from the International Olympic Committee who came with me also believe that many international events can be held here in the future," he said. The continuous improvement of sports facilities greatly boosts urban sports development. After the completion of Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Sports Park, the entire Hong Kong sports community was energized. "Now that Nansha has the Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center and Hong Kong has Kai Tak Sports Park, we will definitely strive to hold more international events in both places," Mr. Ho said.

"It’s truly rare for Nansha to have such excellent facilities," Mr. Ho added, hoping "the Provincial-Hong Kong Cup will be held at the Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center next year."

Nansha’s large-scale development and opening-up not only face the Pearl River Estuary but also reach out to the world. Gunilla Lindberg, Secretary General of the International Olympic Committee and National Olympic Committees Association, said she visited the Greater Bay Area Cultural and Sports Center during its construction. "Seeing it now, this venue is truly amazing. I believe in the future it will be fully capable of hosting major sporting events like the Olympic Games!"