On the evening of May 16, 2026, the third round of the Guangdong Provincial Urban Football Super League will see a high-stakes clash as Qingyuan hosts Shenzhen at home. Advance ticket sales for the match are already sold out, reflecting the fervent support of Qingyuan fans and setting the stage for a heated battle for top spot in the Eastern Division.
Behind this highly anticipated showdown lies the deep football culture of Qingyuan, a city with a rich soccer heritage. Yingde, in particular—known as the “cradle of Chinese women’s football”—has provided unwavering strength and dedication to this passion for decades.
The revamped National Women’s Football Yingde Training Base. (Photo: Qingyuan Daily reporter Zhong Lvshuang)
**The Spirit of Women’s Football, Rooted Along the Beijiang River**
Qingyuan’s Yingde is a city intrinsically linked to football.
In July 1986, the National Women’s Football Yingde Training Base was established in Wangbu Town, covering 322 mu (approximately 21.5 hectares). It was jointly built by the former State General Administration of Sports and Yingde City government. From that point onward, the Chinese women’s national team would gather here for winter training or before major tournaments, making Yingde the launching pad for the “Steel Roses” to “break out of Asia and reach the world.”
Starting in 1987, the Chinese women’s team trained and competed at the Yingde base for extended periods. They went on to win the AFC Women’s Asian Cup seven consecutive times. In the late 1990s, the team finished as runners-up in the FIFA Women’s World Cup twice, marking one of the most glorious chapters in Chinese football history. In 2007, the Chinese Football Association officially recognized Yingde as the “Hometown of Chinese Women’s Football.”
In December 1986, after China’s women’s team won their first Asian Championship, local residents welcomed them at the Yingde Railway Station. (Archive photo)
Zhao Lihong, a native of Yingde, is the city’s most prominent football icon. Born in 1972, she played as a midfielder and made her debut for the national team in 1992. With 174 appearances and 68 goals for China, she earned the nickname “A-Mao” (Cat) for her remarkable left-flank breakthroughs and explosive speed. In 2024, she was elected vice-president of the Guangdong Football Association, transitioning from the pitch to management to continue contributing to football development in the province.
In October 2025, Zhao Lihong returned to her alma mater, Yingde No.1 Middle School, alongside former national team players and veterans from the provincial football association. They provided professional guidance to young players, covering topics from mental resilience to on-field adaptability. “Seeing such great progress in my school’s football program fills me with immense pride,” Zhao said, her words brimming with hope for the next generation.
**Passing the Torch: Rising Stars on the Green Field**
The spirit of women’s football has taken root and flourished in Yingde’s fertile soil.
In the past five editions of Qingyuan’s “Mayor’s Cup” tournament, teams from Yingde have won an impressive total of 20 championships, 11 runner-up finishes, and 8 third-place spots, leading the way in campus football development in northern Guangdong. In 2025 alone, Yingde’s school teams achieved a record five titles, one runner-up, and two third-place finishes across eight age groups in the Qingyuan Mayor’s Cup.
Currently, Yingde is home to 26 “National Campus Football Characteristic Schools,” with over 100 school teams. Each year, the Yingde Mayor’s Cup features more than 120 teams and over 500 matches, involving nearly 1,500 students.
In August 2025, Yingzhou Green Falcons competed in the Guangdong Super League. (Photo: Qingyuan Daily reporter Zhong Lvshuang)
A milestone was reached in June 2025 when Yingde established its first professionally operated football club—”Yingzhou Green Falcons.” The club brought together a coaching team led by football veteran Liu Wuyi and several elite players from the U19 age group, forming a 28-player squad to compete in the provincial super league.
This thriving environment has nurtured a steady stream of young football talents. Li Zhenjie and Liu Xianfan, selected for the Qingyuan team to compete in the Guangdong Super League, are standout examples of Yingde’s youth development efforts. Both players, still in their teens, have represented Yingde and Qingyuan at the provincial level. In the 2025 Qingyuan Mayor’s Cup senior boys’ final, Liu Xianfan scored a second-half goal to help Yingde No.1 Middle School secure a resounding 5-0 victory, showcasing his growing potential.
**Modernization and Renewal: A National-Level Base Bounces Back**
With the 2026 Guangdong Super League fully adopting a home-and-away format, Qingyuan—a key football hub in northern Guangdong—has seized the opportunity to showcase its urban football culture. The comprehensive upgrade of the Yingde Women’s Football Base has provided solid infrastructure to support this enthusiasm.
Recent years have seen a dramatic transformation of the Yingde base: six new standard 11-a-side natural grass pitches and one 5-a-side natural grass field have been built, along with a six-story, 11,800-square-meter sports training complex. A 1,500-square-meter covered sports hall is now in operation. The upgrade also includes improvements to baseball and softball fields and related facilities, enabling the base to host national-level training camps and major tournaments. Leveraging Qingyuan’s hosting of the 16th Guangdong Provincial Games, the base accommodated women’s football, baseball, and softball events, handling nearly 200 matches and hosting 3,000 visitors, further solidifying its status as a “national-level” training facility.
The National Women’s Football Yingde Training Base in Wangbu Town, Yingde. (Photo: Qingyuan Daily