On the evening of May 23rd, the opening ceremony of the first Northeast China City Football League (Northeast Super) Shenyang division was held at Tiexi Stadium, with 40,379 spectators watching in person. Former Chinese men's national football coach Mircea Lucescu kicked off the match.

In the subsequent matches, the Shenyang team defeated Jixi team 3-0 at home, while Dalian team overturned Harbin team 5-2 away, with both Liaoning teams securing opening wins. The other two matches ended in draws.

Meanwhile, the cultural tourism development and commercial consumption effects brought by the Northeast Super have become evident. Special fan trains were launched, and over 700 Northeast Super viewing "second venues" created by Liaoning were unveiled in landmarks like Shenyang People's Square, attracting numerous fans, local residents, and tourists to "enjoy food and watch the matches."

Cultural and sports celebrities like Yu Hewei appeared at the Shenyang opening ceremony.

The Northeast Super is the first city football event in China that spans across provincial boundaries. On the evening of May 23rd, the inaugural Northeast Super held simultaneous opening ceremonies and matches in the capitals (provinces) of Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Inner Mongolia.

On the evening of May 23rd, the opening ceremony of the first Northeast Super Shenyang division was held at Tiexi Stadium, featuring a performance representing Liaoning's industrial achievements.  Photo by Penghui News Reporter Wang Juewei

At 7:15 PM, the opening ceremony of the Shenyang division was held at Tiexi Stadium, accompanied by the cheerful melody of "Dongbei, My Hometown," with cheers filling the air.

Numerous sports and entertainment celebrities made appearances at this opening ceremony. Director Zheng Zhi of the film "Forest of Forests" appeared alongside lead actors Yu Hewei, Gaoyuan, and Zhang Tienai, collectively wishing the Northeast Super a warm welcome. After singer Zhang Wei and Hu Haiquan performed "Three Days, Three Nights" and "Run," actors Du Haitao and football star Zhao Junzhe, along with basketball star Guo Ailun, joined in singing "The Spirit of Northeast." Sports celebrities like Han Dejun and Yan Ni also made appearances.

On the evening of May 23, celebrities like Yu Hewei, Gaoyuan, and Zhang Tienai appeared at the opening ceremony of the first Northeast Super Shenyang division.   Photo by Penghui News Reporter Sun Jun

At the Shenyang division opening ceremony, the flags of every city in the Northeast were displayed on-site. In the stands, fans waved large banners reading "Northeast is Home," embodying the warm atmosphere of "One Big Family in Northeast."

After the opening ceremony, during the kickoff ceremony, Milu passed the ball to Tang Yaodong, a legendary player of Liaoning football. Tang Yaodong passed the ball to Zhao Junzhe, the former captain of Liaoning football. Zhao Junzhe then passed the ball to Wen Jun, the captain of the "Northeast Super" Shenyang team. Wen Jun finally passed the ball to Li Xinghan, an 11-year-old young player, symbolizing the inheritance of football, this "world's number one sport," in Liaoning.

On the evening of May 23rd, Mirza Pjanic appeared at the opening ceremony of the first Northeast Super League Shenyang Division and kicked off the match. Liaoning Daily (Liaoning Ribao) Figure

In the following match, the Shenyang team defeated the Jixi team 3-0 at home with goals from Ma Xingbo, Han Yuliang, and Ma Yuxuan, securing an opening victory.

In another game featuring a Liaoning team during that night, the Dalian team achieved a 5-2 comeback victory over the Harbin team with outstanding performance in the second half, also securing an opening win.

In the other two matches of the first round in Northeast China, the Changchun team drew 1:1 with the Tongliao team, while the Hohhot team and Yanbian team drew 0:0.

"Friendship First" Fans Special Train Launched

The distinctive feature of the first Northeast Super League is "One Big Family in Northeast," breaking regional administrative boundaries and promoting coordinated development across the region, with teams from eight cities and prefectures including Shenyang, Dalian, Changchun, Yanbian, Harbin, Jixi, Hohhot, and Tongliao participating in the competition.

"We don't care if we win or lose, but friendship is definitely first." At the May 20th "Starting the '15-15-5' Plan" press conference in Liaoning Province, Vice Governor Chu Tianyun, responding to questions from The Paper about the Northeast Super League, said this.

On the evening of May 23rd, during the Shenyang vs. Heilongjiang Jixi match, the host encouraged fans to cheer for the visiting team, Jixi, multiple times, and each fan received a Jixi tourism map.

On the evening of May 23rd, the flags of every city in Northeast China were displayed at the opening ceremony of the first Northeast Super League in Shenyang.  Photo by The Paper reporter Wang Juewei

Besides playing on family sentiments, Liaoning and Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Inner Mongolia have seized the opportunity of the Northeast Super League to jointly create the "Super Northeast Tourism and Culture IP," aiming to boost tourism and cultural consumption with the league. They are focusing on the concept of "One Ticket to Explore Northeast China," planning seven major tourism routes including home games, nearby tours, inter-provincial tours, and themed tours.

Among them, Liaoning has introduced highly attractive ticket benefits. Over 100 well-known tourist attractions such as Qianshan in Anshan, Shuidong in Benxi, and Xingcheng Ancient City in Huludao have offered free admission promotions. More than 20,000 businesses in catering, accommodation, bathing, and supermarkets have provided exclusive discounts. Fans with their ticket stubs and visiting tourists from other provinces with their ID cards can directly enjoy these consumer benefits.

According to Liaoning Daily, at 3:30 PM on May 23, the first Y526 fan special train, carrying 400 fans, departed from Fushun Station, heading to Shenyang Station. The fans sang loudly with great enthusiasm, and the Anshan Culture and Tourism Bureau, among others, specially presented them with gift packs.

On the evening of May 23, Suzhou Super League fans arrived in Shenyang to support the Northeast Super League.   Photo by Wang Juewei of The Paper.

To facilitate fans in Northeast China and even across the country to watch the games, Liaoning Provincial Culture and Tourism Group has jointly launched a fan express train with Shenyang Railway Culture and Tourism Group, covering cities such as Shenyang, Dalian, Changchun, and Tongliao participating in the events. The plan is to operate 8 cross-province express routes. In the future, high-speed rail express trains will also be progressively launched to cover cities like Harbin, Yanji, Hohhot, and Jixi, achieving full coverage across the four Northeast provinces and regions.

More than 700 "Second Venues" in Liaoning are boosting consumption

On the opening match night on May 23, more than 3,000 fans and citizens gathered at a specially set-up large screen in Shenyang People's Square to watch the live game.

Most of them sat together, eating barbecue and drinking beer while cheering for the game, while a few citizens and tourists stood at the back watching. There were even multiple children on-site playing soccer while watching the game, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

On the night of May 23, Shenyang People's Square's "Second Venue" was packed with fans coming to watch the game.   Photo by Wang Juewei of The Paper

This is just one of the "Second Venues" in the northeast created by Liaoning. This time, Liaoning has created over 700 "Second Venues" in the northeast, covering places such as commercial complexes, night markets, squares, and parks, achieving a comprehensive all-day experience model of "scenic views during the day, watching sports matches at night, and enjoying the vibrant atmosphere after dark." Among them, Shenyang has 134 "Second Venues."

On the evening of May 23, numerous local and tourist visitors gathered at the "Second Venues" in the northeast in Shenyang, including Hongmei Cultural and Creative Park, Shengjing Grand Plaza, Heping Global City, and Tawan Xingshun Night Market, which are cultural and tourism or commercial landmarks.

According to Shenyang News, Shengjing Grand Plaza set up three high-definition screens to broadcast live sports matches, with night market stalls bustling with crowds. The relevant person in charge introduced that this is the largest indoor sports viewing spot in Shenyang, covering an area of approximately 6,000 square meters, divided into functional zones such as viewing areas, entertainment zones, food zones, and cultural and creative markets, creating an integrated scene of "sports, culture, tourism, and commerce." It offers a one-stop experience of "watching sports + entertainment + food + cultural and creative + leisure." Visitors to this venue can not only enjoy exclusive "Northeast Super" match packages and limited-edition food but also receive benefits such as spending rebates, discounts, and lucky draws, with prizes including jerseys, match balls, and cultural and creative merchandise of the "Northeast Super" Shenyang team.

【Northeast Super Second Round Schedule】

May 30, 19:40 Tongliao Team vs. Jixi Team

May 31, 19:40 Changchun Team vs. Dalian Team

June 13, 19:40 Shenyang Team vs. Yanbian Team

June 13, 19:40 Harbin Team vs. Hohhot Team