"We must urge everyone to act quickly, and not dwell too long in the aftermath of the disaster," said Xu Bo, Party secretary of Rongjiang, adding that he believed "after a major disaster comes great revival and great progress".

He added the quick reconstruction owes to its 385,000 people, and disaster-relief workers from around the country. "Through resumption of Cun Chao, we wanted to thank all helpers in this disaster and show our confidence in restarting like the 'phoenix reborn from the ashes'," he said.

The event on Saturday included soccer games, singing and dancing performances, and a parade in the theme of gratitude. Italian soccer star Roberto Baggio and Brazilian soccer star Roberto Carlos appeared on the pitch, drawing waves of cheers from the fans. They learned to sing a Miao ethnic song and lit a torch.

Baggio was announced to be appointed as the honorary head soccer coach of Rongjiang Secondary Vocational School, while Carlos was named honorary advisor. Baggio encouraged young soccer fans: "If you want to see results on the field, you must put more effort into training and find your own joy in football."

The event on Saturday attracted tens of thousands of audience.

Chen Yonghe, a doctor from Guangdong province who works in Qianxi, Guizhou, said he wanted to feel the cheerful atmosphere of sports so he came. "Before the disaster, I had visited here to watch a soccer match, and I never expected the area to recover so well in such a short time. The entire stadium and the roads show no traces of the disaster. We could really feel how much effort the rescue workers must have put in during the relief efforts," he said.

An audience member surnamed Yang said he was very excited to have this event resumed for soccer fans like him to "enjoy pure soccer and feel the pure unity of people".