June 17 to 18 saw the first game of the VBA (Village Basketball Association) kick off in Devs Town, Horqin Right Wing Front Banner, Hinggan League, Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

The "home court" is located in the town's Heiyang Mountain tourist resort, and prizes include sheep and rugs of the Mongolian ethnic group, favored by the local people. Some of the players are herdsmen, while some are villagers who came back especially for this game from the cities that they work in. Local basketball fans who are too busy with farming to watch in person were able to watch the game live online.

The VBA attracted more than 18,500 spectators on the grassland, creating local tourism revenue of over CNY 1.6 million, and the number of online viewers exceeded 230,000.

An intense match [Photo by UYANGAT]

In recent years, Horqin Right Wing Front Banner in Inner Mongolia has promoted three major ball games – basketball, football, and volleyball – to residents in towns and villages, which has not only increased enthusiasm for fitness amongst farmers and herdsmen, but has also actively promoted the deep integration of sports and fitness with rural culture and tourism.