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The Xiapu youth soccer team represents Fujian at the 1988 national "Toward 2000" Cup, where they secured a historic fourth-place finish. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

In the coastal county of Xiapu, the local dialect carries a century-old secret. When fans shout about henbao (handball) or aosai (outside), the linguistic echoes of the British missionaries who introduced the sport in 1895 still resonate today. Long before professional pitches existed, locals played with wastepaper balls bound in rattan, chasing a passion that has now evolved into a cornerstone of Fujian province's athletic identity.

As the province prepares to kick off the provincial league, Fujian is building upon its historical legacy to create its own unique soccer ecosystem. Xiapu now hosts 44 soccer-specialty schools, representing over 93 percent of its educational institutions, with more than 40,000 students participating, roughly 80 percent of the student population. This grassroots enthusiasm has expanded internationally, including a talent-development partnership with the Italian Serie A club Cagliari Calcio.

Established in 1898 on Gulangyu Island, Yinghua School's soccer team is one of China's earliest organized teams. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The province's soccer pedigree extends to Xiamen's Gulangyu Island, where the Yinghua School established one of China's first formal teams in 1898. Historic campuses like Fuzhou Foreign Language School, which produced Fujian's first national star Li Guoning, remain bedrocks of the local game.

With the upcoming provincial soccer tournament, Fujian underscores that its century-long obsession with the game remains a catalyst for China's contemporary soccer ambitions.