Even amateur sports events in rural areas have carved out success.

"Cun Chao", a village soccer league established in Rongjiang county, Southwest China's Guizhou province, attracts average crowds of 50,000 per game.

Basketball and volleyball have their own rural tournaments, too.

"Whether in urban or rural settings, sports are playing an increasingly pivotal role. Sports are forging closer ties between people and cities, as well as between people and villages. This mirrors the continual progress in rural development," said Wang Xueli, director of Tsinghua University Sports Industry Development Research Center.