A full house at the league opening ceremony in Fuzhou. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2026 Fujian Football City League kicked off on April 19 at the Fuzhou Cross-Strait Olympic Sports Center, drawing a record-breaking 51,342 spectators for the opening match between Fuzhou and Xiamen.

The attendance figure marked a benchmark for a single sporting event in Fujian province and a national high for the opening match of any provincial city football league. Fuzhou Mayor Wu Xiande and Xiamen Mayor Wu Bin performed the ceremonial kickoff. In the inaugural match, Xiamen defeated home team Fuzhou 3-0.

Fuzhou and Xiamen face off in a fierce clash. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The opening ceremony featured a musical performance by actor Huang Xiaoming and Asian Games champion Lin Yuwei, as well as Olympic champions Li Fabin, Li Wenwen, and Lin Li. The event highlighted local traditional culture, featuring 10 performance teams representing Fujian's nine cities and the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone. Among the participants were notable artists Huang Yanyan, a China Theatre Plum Blossom Award winner, and Wu Qinghua, a Wenhua Grand Prize winner, who joined demonstrations of local traditions such as Putian's Nine Carp Lantern Dance, Quanzhou's Song Jiang Battle Array, and Xiamen's Five Ancestors Fist.

Dazzling performances from various regions impress the audience. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]