The ninth round of the Jiangsu Football City League saw an exhilarating match between Team Yangzhou and Team Huai'an at the Yangzhou Sports Park on Aug 17.

Yangzhou clinched a 1-0 victory, thanks to a decisive goal by No 33, Hu Zhifeng, in the 69th minute. The result ended the team's run of defeats and marked a spirited triumph over Huai'an, which sits higher on the league table, showcasing the indomitable spirit and passion of this ancient city.

Dubbed the "Huaiyang derby", this match carried special significance due to the cultural and culinary ties between Yangzhou and Huai'an. Both cities are renowned for Huaiyang cuisine, one of China's four major culinary traditions. The derby attracted a large contingent of Huai'an fans who traveled to Yangzhou to support their team, with the host city rolling out generous hospitality measures.

Throughout the weekend, nearly 70 hotels in Yangzhou offered 20 percent discounts to Huai'an visitors, while several performances introduced discounted tickets. The beloved China Grand Canal Museum also waived reservations for fans holding match tickets.

Visitors watch a past home match of Team Yangzhou at the China Grand Canal Museum. [Photo provided to seeyangzhou.com]

In addition, Yangzhou upgraded its earlier tourism policy: starting with this match, fans attending Yangzhou home games are now entitled to free admission at iconic attractions such as Slender West Lake, Geyuan Garden and Heyuan Garden, previously reserved only for Jiangsu residents during match weekends.

The football fever in Yangzhou was palpable. Night markets at Slender West Lake and Song Jia City Sports & Leisure Park were bustling with stalls selling products themed around the league, crafted using traditional intangible cultural heritage techniques.

A Scottish fan poses for a photo at Song Jia City Sports & Leisure Park. [Photo/WeChat account: sjcpark]

The match sparked a weekend tourism boom. Yangzhou recorded 158,000 overnight visitors, up 22.6 percent from last weekend and 20.2 percent from the previous home match weekend. Twenty state-owned scenic spots offering free entry saw visitor numbers surge 173.1 percent week-on-week and 64.5 percent compared with the last home match.