Perfect timing, it’s on fire! Yuexiushan Stadium celebrates its 100th birthday tonight with a match to watch.

In April 1926, on a dirt football field at the foot of Yuexiu Mountain, the first city-wide school sports meet of Guangzhou was held here.

A hundred years later, in the same April, the lights of Yuexiushan Stadium lit up as the opening match of the Guangdong Super League was about to begin. The phrase “Conquer the city with fame, fight with courage in Guangdong” opened a new chapter for this mountain.

The field has been upgraded with new turf, and the stands now have seats. The whistle is about to blow, and the whole mountain holds its breath.

The Golden Age, Hidden in a String of Shining Names

Going to watch a match at Yuexiushan Stadium is called “going up the mountain to watch the ball” by locals.

The stadium is actually located in a valley of Yuexiushan. This natural bowl-shaped field, built according to the terrain, is the “treasure bowl” of Guangdong football.

Since the 1950s, generations of players have emerged from here, and countless battles have been fought here.

The cheers in the valley have never stopped. Some names are repeated so often that they become legends.

Su Yongshun, a coach from Guangzhou. He designed a short-pass training drill for the Guangdong team involving three players crossing positions within 15 meters, allowing players to develop默契 through quick passing.

In 1975, the Guangdong team won the National Games championship for the first time. The “fast, accurate, clever” style of Southern Chinese football was shaped under his guidance.

In 1951, the Central-South China football final was held at Yuexiushan, where the Guangzhou team defeated Wuhan 2-0 to win the title. Su Yongshun (front row, fourth from right), then 17, was the youngest member of the Guangzhou team.

During the same period, fans in the stands of Yuexiushan began to repeatedly chant another name—Rong Zhixing.

Originally from Taishan, Jiangmen, he practiced football at Baogang Stadium as a youth. In his 18-year career, he never received a single yellow or red card.

During one match, he dribbled into the penalty area, and two opposing defenders collided and fell. Facing an open goal, he stopped, reached out, and helped them up. The crowd paused for a moment, then burst into applause.

In 1978, the Sports Daily first used the term “Zhixing Style” to summarize his sportsmanship and character. Pelé gifted him a number 10 jersey and called him “world-class.”

At the 2025 National Games, at age 77, he once again climbed Yuexiushan as a torchbearer.

Around the same time as Rong Zhixing, there was another person. Standing only 1.62 meters tall, he almost didn’t make it onto the team. Coach Luo Rongman slammed the table and said, “Keep him.”

In 1984, Zhao Dayu won the top scorer award at the Asian Cup qualifiers held in Guangzhou.

In 1984, he came off the bench and scored the winning goal against the Argentine team. From then on, the name “Short-legged Tiger” Zhao Dayu resounded throughout Yuexiushan.

After retiring, Zhao Dayu founded the Yida Football School, passing the torch of Southern Chinese football to the next generation.

Fast forward to 1994, the first year of the Jia-A League. Peng Weiguo won the Golden Ball, and Hu Zhijun won the Golden Boot. In the stands of Yue