Driven by 56 years of passion and 22 years of dedicated cultivation! Zhidan County in Shaanxi: the folk art of Xintianyou at the toes, and a football dream in the bloodline.

Chief reporter Chen Yong reports from Zhidan. Soon after leaving Xi’an, the train passed through multiple tunnels, and after almost two hours, it arrived in Yan’an. Then from Yan’an, traveling westward along the highway through the mountain ravines, we arrived at Zhidan County. Contrary to expectations, the loess plateau did not appear; instead, the hills and mountains were covered mainly with shrub vegetation. “This is the result of over twenty years of governance,” said a local from Zhidan.

Zhidan County town lies within a mountain valley. The distance from the Zhidan passenger station at the southern end to the Wugou community at the northern end, where the Zhidan County Football Youth Training Center is located, is about 10 kilometers, with a width ranging from several hundred meters to one kilometer. The Zhou River, a tributary of the Luo River system, flows through this valley cutting across the town.

The Zhidan County Football Youth Training Center has a total investment of 77.44 million yuan, featuring three standard football fields (two with natural grass), a dormitory building accommodating 600 people, and other supporting facilities. Currently, the football fields’ foundations are leveled, and the dormitory building is topped out. The entire training center is planned to be operational by June 2026. This high-standard facility with quality fields and lodging will undoubtedly usher Zhidan football into a new era.

Looking back from this mountain valley, this small county on the loess plateau with a population of only 151,000 and a GDP of about 20 billion, has a football heritage tracing back 56 years and has systematically developed football for 22 years. It can be said that passion has driven meticulous cultivation. Imagining the future on the grounds of the Zhidan Football Youth Training Center, Zhidan’s football is not just about the development system and hardware improvement, but the love for football has already become inseparable from the lifeblood of Zhidan people.

Zhang Xiaojian once served as Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Security and Vice Chairman of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese.

In February 1969, 20-year-old Zhang Xiaojian came to Zhidan County responding to the call for “educated youth to go to the countryside,” and he worked here until 1978. In 2016, the protagonist Su Jian of the film “Xintianyou on the Tiptoes” was based on him.

▲ Educated youth Zhang Xiaojian in Zhidan

Back then, the people in the mountain valley of Zhidan did not know football. Children would sit on the hillside watching Su Jian and others play football and eat canned pork. But when offered the food, the children would suddenly run away—not because they didn’t want to play or eat, but because their reserved nature made them unsure how to respond. Later, the children “stole” the football and with it inherited over 50 years of Zhidan football tradition.

“I hope you will soon sow your football dream in the most revolutionary place of the motherland.” This was a letter from afar in the movie.

▲ Scene from “Xintianyou on the Tiptoes”

In 1972, Zhang Xiaojian formed Zhidan’s first-ever youth football team, coaching it himself, becoming the main founder of football in Zhidan. In 1978, Zhang returned to Beijing. Although the educated youth left, football remained. In 1981, Zhang’s disciple Yang Zaimin established a girls’ football team at the township primary school and coached the Zhidan women’s team for over twenty years.

At the same time, Zhang Lu, who also came to Shaanxi with Zhang Xiaojian, was stationed in Liqu, Yan’an City. He was selected for the Shaanxi team and later joined the Beijing team. He made significant contributions to the construction of Zhidan Football Association and the development of campus football.

▲ Zhang Lu coaching and commentating at the “Red Star Cup” Zhidan County Football League

A year after the educated youth left Zhidan, Ding Changbao was born. His hometown is Shan County, Shandong. His father came to work in Zhidan, where Ding was born and raised. After graduating from Northwest University with a major in Chinese language and literature, he considered becoming a journalist but ultimately returned to his hometown.

On March 29, 2003, 24-year-old Ding Changbao and others founded the Zhidan County Football Association. That day became known as “Zhidan Football Day.” Twenty-two years later, as chairman of Zhidan Football Association, Ding still tirelessly works for Zhidan football.

▲ Ding Changbao in the Zhidan Football Association Honor Room

In 2003, Ding’s literary article won an award in a literary journal, yet he resolutely chose the path of football. He has received honors including Yan’an City Moral Model, Shaanxi Good Person Award for Dedication, National Campus Football Inspirational Figure Award, and Shaanxi Most Beautiful Sportsman Award. Of course, he has not abandoned his original dream; now a member of the Shaanxi Writers Association, he has published the novel collection “The Lone Walker” and the sci-fi novel “The Ageless City,” and founded the Zhidan Football Association’s publication “Ideal Country,” a name resonating with many: he hopes to build an ideal football nation on this previously football-deficient barren land. This year, the association also compiled a booklet titled “If There Were No Football—Zhidan Football Heroes,” recalling and recording those who contributed to Zhidan football.

Over the years, Zhidan football has steadily progressed: in 2007, Zhidan began developing campus football; in 2008, Zhidan campus football league was held; in 2010, Zhidan became the first national pilot county for youth campus football; in 2011, it pioneered preschool football; in 2014, 17 Zhidan football youths were received by General Secretary Xi Jinping in Germany; in 2015, the Zhidan County Youth Campus Football Management Office was established.

▲ “If There Were No Football—Zhidan Football Heroes”

During the application for the Western Youth Training pilot, there was discussion between Shaanxi Province and Yan’an City about whether Yan’an or Zhidan should apply. Ultimately, Zhidan County applied and became the only county-level pilot among the eight Western Youth Training pilots.

In 2023, Zhidan County Government and Shaanxi Football Association held a naming signing ceremony. The Shaanxi Women’s Football Team (China’s first women’s football team) competed in the Women’s Super League under the name “Shaanxi Zhidan Women’s Football Team,” marking the first women’s super league team named by a county-level government. In the 2025 season, they successfully avoided relegation, finishing 14th.

▲ Shaanxi Zhidan Women’s Football Team

Currently, Zhidan has 21 schools approved as national football characteristic schools, 3 kindergartens approved as national football characteristic kindergartens, and over 80 teams participating in the campus football league. The league regularly holds home-and-away matches during weekdays and weekends. More than 6,000 youths regularly train, with a football participation rate of 30%. Since 2014, Zhidan has won 52 championships at or above the municipal level. Notably, at the 2019 2nd Youth Games, Zhidan won silver in the indoor five-a-side football U12 to U13 social club category; they achieved six consecutive championships in the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Old Revolutionary Base Youth Football League; and they won the 2022 Shaanxi 17th Games Women’s Group A championship. Several players trained in Zhidan have been selected for national youth women’s football teams and the national five-a-side teams, with others joining professional clubs like Zhidan Women’s Football, Ganzhou Ruishi, and Shanxi Chongde Ronghai.

Xue Mingzhen, once a mountain village child who struggled in townships for many years, was appointed director of Zhidan County Education and Sports Bureau in June this year. In the past six months, much of his work has been football-related. Besides the tightly scheduled Zhidan Football Youth Training Center, he has focused on building pathways for campus football in Zhidan. “After junior high, I had two choices: vocational school or senior high. I attended senior high for one month but eventually gave up to enroll in vocational school to earn money sooner. Education in Zhidan has improved greatly over the years, but compared to eastern regions, there is still a gap. For example, few students here get into well-known universities. Football is very important for kids, providing them a new path for advancement,” Xue said.

【Deepening Preschool Football】At Zhidan County’s Fourth Kindergarten, Li Yuhao was leading young children in a “mini match.” Five- and six-year-olds tend to cluster together while playing, so Li had to separate them repeatedly. On another field, more children were playing various football games.

“I am a third-year student at Xi’an Physical Education University. Our school co-builds football volunteer teaching programs with Zhidan. I came here after my seniors coached the kids. When I leave, juniors will continue coaching them,” said Li Yuhao.

Besides the mini matches and watching children, the kindergarten offers various football games. Nearly a hundred balls are kept in the football cage on the playground, and football crafts made by children decorate the classroom corridors. The kindergarten has five full-time football initiation teachers and three part-time coaches.

“Similar situations exist in our other kindergartens. Since 2011, we have been developing preschool football to lay the foundation for our campus football system. Preschool football’s key is initiation—to cultivate their love for football. We mostly use games to familiarize them with football and mini matches to let them experience the joy of competition,” Ding Changbao explained.

▲ Thriving preschool football in Zhidan

【Building Home and Away Leagues】 Currently, Zhidan County has established a comprehensive campus football league system. Taking the ongoing 2025/2026 Zhidan County Youth Campus Football League as an example, it includes 10 categories: elementary school (Groups A/B/C), junior high (Groups A/B), and high school boys and girls. 25 schools field 84 teams. For example, Shizhen Primary School and Hongxing Primary School each have six boys’ and girls’ teams competing in Group A (grades 5-6), Group B (grades 3-4), and Group C (grades 1-2). Some township primary schools participate in mixed groups (grades 3-6). Group B matches for elementary and junior high schools are fully organized as home-and-away weekday and weekend games. For example, on December 5, Hongdu Primary hosted Shizhen Primary, Hongjun Primary hosted Hongxing Primary, and Chuangxin Primary hosted Bao’an Primary.

To promote county-wide football development, Zhidan renamed the youth campus football management office as the Zhidan County Football Development Center, a full-fledged department-level institution that oversees youth football growth countywide, with Ding Changbao as director.

▲ Unique snow football matches

【Focusing on Advancement Pathways】 In campus football development, the focus is on building a system and advancement pathways. Besides class leagues and football classes, Shizhen Primary School maintains six age-group teams for boys and girls, corresponding to grades 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6. In sports-education integration, Shizhen Primary rewards class teachers 500 yuan for every football-specialized student they send forward, encouraging football development. Principal Ren Zhigang revealed that 6% of the school’s public funds are allocated to sports, a notably high proportion.

While playing football, cultural studies are also emphasized. Among seven history classes at Zhidan Senior High, the football class ranked sixth overall academically, with English scores ranking third.

▲ Ding Changbao teaching in the football specialty class

【Innovative Enrollment Mechanism】 At the critical high school entrance exam stage, Zhidan County innovated its football enrollment system by implementing a “sports + education” joint screening mechanism. For example, in 2025, the Football Development Center first selected 110 football talents recommended to two junior high schools (Longgang Experimental and Bao’an). The schools then admitted students based on academic performance. Senior high schools admitted students according to combined professional test scores from the football center and academic scores, requiring both to meet thresholds. Currently, 30 students attend Longgang Experimental Junior High, 48 at Bao’an Junior High, and 48 at Zhidan Senior High (including 11 from other counties).

Football talents can also enroll in Zhidan Youth Football Sports School, a vocational school located at the Zhidan Vocational Education Center. Zhidan is actively promoting a “3+4” integrated system to offer better development for football youths. On December 4, Yan’an Deputy Mayor Zhang Wei visited Zhidan to coordinate football development, bringing officials from the municipal organization department to vigorously support the integration system’s construction.

Besides their own integration system, the Zhidan Football Development Center and Football Association actively connect with other cities nationwide, recommending Zhidan football youths to study and play elsewhere. “We don’t give up on any child,” said Ding Changbao. He can name many players at almost every school and knows their playing conditions well.

▲ Zhidan women’s football youth participating in China-North Korea youth women’s football friendship match

【Comprehensive Team System】 Although the Zhidan Youth Training Center is still under construction, Zhidan’s team system is already well-established, covering U8 to U18 age groups. Players are distributed across various schools to ensure the campus football league’s quality. County team players train collectively in the afternoons or weekends and actively participate in domestic and international competitions. Once the Youth Training Center is completed, children will have their own dedicated football base.

▲ Zhidan amateur football coach training class

【Cultivating Outstanding Coaches】 Zhidan County Fourth Kindergarten has five football initiation teachers and three part-time coaches. Hongxing Primary School has five football teachers or coaches, and Shizhen Primary School has four. Importantly, Zhidan City Football Association and County Football Development Center employ professional football coaches who not only support the county teams’ training but also lead training sessions in schools across the county. Zhidan also cooperates with Xi’an Physical Education University, which sends ten volunteer teaching coaches annually to Zhidan.

Zhidan County has hired top coaches such as former national player Da Wangtao and former professional youth team coach Yu Peng to comprehensively elevate youth football development in Zhidan.

“Football is as essential to Zhidan as sunlight, air, and water,” said Li Yongjun, Secretary of the Zhidan County Party Committee, at a recent standing committee meeting. “Our campus football league was rated by the Ministry of Education as China’s most complete campus football league. I have worked in many places, but seeing Zhidan’s campus football league still moves me deeply. Looking ahead, Zhidan football cannot be complacent. We must rethink, reposition, and replan, thoroughly advancing campus football development, perfecting the competition system, building the youth training center, cultivating football culture, and nurturing and attracting football talent. Ultimately, all football work must focus on children’s physical and mental health, talent development, public happiness without worries, and the sports economy. Through our persistent efforts, we aim to keep the football talents we have nurtured over the years in Zhidan and build Zhidan’s future.”