Recently, despite Cangnan's home court loss to Hangzhou team in the ZheBA quarterfinals elimination round, this mountainous county in southern Zhejiang achieved nationwide recognition for its city brand through the tournament. The event accomplished multiple remarkable feats including zero fiscal cost organization, national CCTV broadcast of a grassroots competition, and viral popularity of the city IP, creating a vivid case study of modern county-level urban governance integrated with cultural-tourism-sports-commerce development.
Cangnan team's journey, though not culminating in championship, set several ZheBA firsts: the first county team to defeat municipal united teams, the first ten-game winning streak record, the first to arrange special high-speed trains for away-game fans, and the first county-level venue to introduce CCTV live broadcast. The most impactful achievement emerged with the sudden rise of the "Nange" city IP.
Originally inspired by the popularity of the Chinese Super League, the "Nange" nickname rapidly gained traction by resonating with public sentiment. Paired with catchy slogans like "South of Zhejiang, Cangnan Reigns Supreme," it became the emotional bond for mass participation. Cangnan's commitment to local player selection and affordable "milk tea money" ticket prices genuinely integrated the event into citizens' daily lives.
CCTV's inaugural live broadcast of ZheBA amplified the "Nange" phenomenon nationwide. This broadcast, actively pursued by Cangnan government, featured CBA-level technical support with 60+ crew members and 11 HD cameras, attracting 8.813 million online viewers including 2.282 million through CCTV Sports app—surpassing simultaneous CBA viewership and ranking ninth in national TV ratings.
A spontaneous post-game fan appreciation event attracted thousands of supporters, with nearly five hours of autograph sessions consuming 38 boxes of pens. This emotional connection transcending game outcomes elevated "Nange" from sports IP to Cangnan's new city identity, while passionate female fans earned the "Nanjie" nickname as mobile symbols of urban civilization.
Another breakthrough emerged through market-driven zero fiscal cost organization. Initial sponsorship concerns dissolved under innovative mechanisms including a 1 million yuan主场冠名 strategy offering comprehensive brand exposure. Within six months, 12 enterprises including Reshape Energy and Jin Chuniang participated, pooling over 15 million yuan in social capital.
Local enterprise Jin Chuniang achieved brand elevation through the tournament, with its braised food products gaining 300% increased local search volume and 15% sales growth in Zhejiang region. Single concession stands generated over 40,000 yuan daily revenue, creating triple-win outcomes for government, enterprises, and society.
Cangnan leveraged basketball to activate urban vitality, transforming sports IP into emotional bonds. This represents not merely athletic success but practical demonstration of grassroots governance wisdom and city branding. The "Nange" phenomenon extended beyond wins to drive consumption, tourism, and civic identity.
Rapidly accumulated traffic was precisely converted into development dividends. Building upon the existing "168 Golden Coastline" IP, Cangnan integrated "Nange" with tourism through initiatives like "Visit 168, Dine at Nange's Home" campaign, creating consumption markets and ticket-based tourism economy.
Within three tournament months, Cangnan achieved 281 million yuan in tourism revenue hosting 7.7788 million visitors—16.06% year-on-year growth. The county welcomed over 20 million tourists in 2024, reaching 13.853 million visitors in H1 2025 with 44.1% growth, driving over 5 billion yuan in consumption.
Cangnan's ZheBA success transcends athletic competition. From innovative market-driven mechanisms to city IP creation and traffic monetization, the tournament became catalyst for endogenous development, demonstrating county-level governance wisdom through precise government planning, corporate hometown responsibility, and fan devotion.