Cave basketball tournament courts widespread interest

GUIYANG — Cars lined up in long queues, as thousands of spectators from across China flocked to watch a unique basketball tournament held deep inside a cave in Southwest China's Guizhou province.

The inaugural Yanhe Cave Basketball Invitational Tournament was staged in Fengming Cave in Cuantang village, Yanhe Tujia autonomous county, Tongren city.

Situated near the junction of Guizhou, Hunan, Chongqing and Hubei, the event brought together 12 grassroots teams.

Banners along the road to Cuantang village from Guanzhou town proclaimed the event "a must-visit destination for basketball fans".

Cars traveling along the winding mountain road leading into the village displayed license plates from provinces as far away as Zhejiang.

From above, Cuantang village, located 17 kilometers from the county seat, is surrounded by rolling mountains.

At its heart sits Fengming Cave, transformed into a tournament venue with a standard basketball court, bright lights and bleachers packed with fans.

Chants of encouragement from commentators and supporters echoed as players ran onto the court. The cave ceiling was decorated with ornaments, and the roar of the crowd filled the cavernous space.

Cuantang village Party chief Wang Chunnian said the cave's seating capacity of 2,500 to 3,000 was far exceeded during the event.

More than 5,000 attended the Aug 25 opening ceremony, and over 6,000 came for the Aug 30 finals.

"The cave basketball tournament has paved a new path for integrating culture, sports and tourism in Cuantang village," Wang said.

The village, home to about 1,500 residents, has long relied on rice and corn farming, with locals seeking new opportunities for growth.

Guizhou, known for its karst landforms, has, in recent years, promoted outdoor mountain sports such as marathons, trail running, mountain biking, climbing and paragliding.

"Caves are a hallmark of karst topography. Counties like Ziyun and Libo have successfully developed climbing, concerts and other cultural and sports activities, gaining market traction," Wang said.

Inspired by those successes, Cuantang villagers began pooling funds in 2023 to convert Fengming Cave into a basketball venue. Progress stalled due to lack of financing, but momentum returned after nearby Yangnan village unveiled a 5,000-square-meter cave court in July 2024 that attracted national attention.

With new funding and government approval, construction of the Fengming Cave court began in April 2025 and was completed in August.