Ordinary dreamers

Apart from the league's official sponsors, each division and each team also has its own sponsorship partners.

Dongha Northeast Street-side BBQ thought with its heart and not its head, when it decided to back underperforming Changzhou out of a sense of local loyalty.

Zhang Jingyu, a Harbin native who runs the family restaurant, said the sponsorship fulfilled a dream of her family to support sport in Changzhou. Her niece, a second-grader, practices gymnastics at the city's sports school and has won many medals representing Changzhou in provincial competitions, becoming a source of pride for the whole family.

On June 7, Zhang came across an invitation for sponsorship cooperation from the league's Changzhou division. To thank the city for nurturing her niece's talent, the family decided to contribute 100,000 yuan ($13,750) in sponsorship.

"We knew our sponsorship would mean having a sign at the field, but we didn't expect it to be so eye-catching. Also, we didn't anticipate the subsequent popularity of the league," Zhang said.

On June 21, the match between Changzhou and Nanjing ended with a score of 0-4. Changzhou suffered its fifth consecutive defeat without scoring a goal.

Prior to the match, Changzhou had been ridiculed for their losing streak, but they showed fighting spirit during the game, which won them widespread respect.

Of the 22 advertising boards displayed around the ground at the match, Dongha BBQ was the only individual business entity.

Its yellow sign — simply reading "Dongha Northeast Street-side BBQ" — stood out starkly amid the prominent professional advertisements of brands like JD.com, Bank of Jiangsu, and others. It attracted the attention of fans and quickly spread on major short-video platforms.

Netizens dubbed Dongha BBQ the "super individual business entity of the year", and praised the local government's business-friendly environment.

According to data released by Changzhou, the match had 36,712 spectators at the ground and over 8.57 million online viewers. It trended as the top topic on Weibo and Douyin.

Following the sudden surge in popularity, a large number of fans have flocked to support Dongha BBQ.

"We were worried our humble sign might look out of place," Zhang said. "I am very grateful to Changzhou, which embraces thousands of ordinary dreamers like us," she said, advising fans to visit her overwhelmed restaurant at a later date for better service.