By Gong Shijian, Qiao Dong, People’s Daily

As dusk settled over Chahandusi township in Salar autonomous county of Xunhua, Haidong, northwest China’s Qinghai province, the sound of cheering rose from a township-level basketball game. Spectators packed several rows deep around the court, their applause and shouts echoing into the night.

On the court, local player Han Weiming leapt to seize a defensive rebound. With a quick crossover, he dribbled past his opponent, drove straight to the basket, and finished with a smooth layup. By the final whistle, the Chahandusi team had claimed victory.

Han is something of a local basketball star. Known not only for his skills but also for his dedication and leadership, he is often the first to arrive for practice and the last to leave after games. Thanks in part to his motivation, Chahandusi has remained one of the county’s most competitive teams.

Though home to fewer than 200,000 residents, Xunhua county boasts a deep-rooted basketball tradition. The sport first took root in the 1950s as a leisure activity during the farming off-season and grew into a countywide passion by the 1980s. Today, basketball is played year-round, with grassroots matches held in villages across the county. Men and women, young and old, all flock to cheer on their teams. “When someone in the family takes the court, the whole household is thrilled,” said a villager.

This May, the final of Xunhua’s rural men’s basketball tournament, popularly known as the “Xunhua Basketball Association (XBA),” drew record crowds. Hotels in the county seat were fully booked, and tickets were impossible to find. A large screen outside the venue streamed the game live, where strangers and friends alike gathered, shouting and cheering in unison. 

The excitement reached far beyond the court. This year’s tournament opened nine live-streaming channels, attracting more than 30,000 viewers at peak and generating over 100,000 total views. 

“During finals week, basketball becomes the country’s biggest event. The 5,000-seat arena was filled to capacity, and fans even brought steamed buns and water so they wouldn’t miss a single play,” said Shen Tao, deputy head of the county’s bureau of culture, sports, and tourism.

The XBA is the culmination of a long, competitive journey. Each winter, qualifying matches begin at the village level, with more than 500 games played, followed by over 300 township matches. Only the strongest squads advance to the county-level stage. According to county mayor Han Mingfu, Xunhua now has over 100 amateur men’s and women’s teams, with basketball courts built in all nine townships and 154 villages.

In Xunhua, basketball is more than a pastime – it is part of community life. In schools across the country, basketball clubs are among the most popular extracurricular activities. Many not only provide professional training but also emphasize teamwork and physical fitness. “We’ve created boys’ and girls’ teams, and even grade-specific squads in primary schools,” said Shan Haiyun, head of the county’s community sports guidance center. 

The sport also builds friendships across communities. Tashi, a Tibetan player on the county team, often spends weekends with Han. 

“Our county team brings together athletes from different ethnic groups. In the XBA, we may compete against each other, but outside the county, we play as one. These days, Han can even understand some Tibetan,” Tashi said with a smile. Over time, training and competing together have forged close bonds between them.

Xunhua is home to Salar, Tibetan, Hui, and Han communities, with the Salar people accounting for over 60 percent of the population. On the basketball court, players from all ethnic groups come together to compete, sweat, and support each other. Beyond fitness, the games have strengthened neighborly ties and fostered ethnic harmony.

In one case, two villages had long quarreled over water resources. Despite repeated mediation, tensions lingered. Then a suggestion arose: settle the dispute with a few basketball games. The results were remarkable: after several friendlies, players became friends, and the dispute that had troubled generations was peacefully resolved.

The atmosphere off the court is just as lively as the games themselves. This year’s XBA finals coincided with the launch of a countywide cultural and tourism festival, which highlighted local intangible cultural heritage. “During breaks, we promoted Xunhua’s scenic attractions and cuisine on large screens and mobile platforms, attracting more visitors,” said county official Cao Liantai.

In total, Xunhua staged 200 basketball games at village, township, and county levels this year, attracting 300,000 spectators on site and 1.2 million online viewers. The surge in tourism brought by basketball generated a combined revenue of 82 million yuan ($11.5 million).