Nearly 300 young footballers from China and overseas got a taste of traditional Guangdong culture on August 10, taking a day off from the 2026 Greater Bay Area Hope Cup presented by X1.
Held in Guangzhou from August 8 to 14, the international U17 football tournament brings together eight teams from China, France, the United Kingdom, Serbia, Thailand, South Korea and New Zealand.
On the tournament's rest day, GZL International Travel Service Ltd., the event's official travel service provider, organized a cultural excursion to Foshan, a city in Guangdong known for its martial arts heritage. The itinerary gave the young players a chance to experience the region through kung fu, local cuisine, traditional architecture and lion dance.
At the Foshan Hongsheng Memorial Hall, the players tried Choy Li Fut, a traditional southern Chinese martial art, under the guidance of a practitioner. Working through basic movements and techniques, they got a feel for the combination of power and flexibility that characterizes the style.
"I hope I can learn a few moves here. Chinese kung fu is so powerful!" said Edward Markovic, a representative of FK Partizan, a football club from Belgrade. He said he was also a fan of martial arts legend Bruce Lee.
The tour then took the players to Foshan Lingnan Tiandi, a historic neighborhood featuring traditional architecture and everyday Guangdong life. They sampled double-skin milk pudding, a classic Cantonese dessert, and walked among traditional houses with distinctive curved "wok-ear" roofs and intricately carved eaves.
The players also visited a creative industry park converted from old factory buildings, where graffiti and contemporary cultural products offered a glimpse of how traditional Guangdong culture is being reinterpreted for younger generations.
For many of the teenage athletes, the day offered a different way to connect with their host region, not through football but through its food, architecture, martial arts and local traditions.
The 2026 Greater Bay Area Hope Cup presented by X1 is backed by the Sports Bureau of Guangdong Province and organized by the Guangdong Football Association. It brings together young players from around the world and gives them a chance to experience Guangdong beyond the pitch.
Reporter | Li Fangwang
Photos | Li Fangwang
