Despite the heavy rain, over 3,000 residents were gathering in front of a some 50 m2 LED screen to celebrate the opening of South Africa World Cup on Friday night in the South Lake Park of Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province.
The crowd arrived at the park around 7: 30 p.m., arranging tables and ordering beer and food. The rain started shortly after the beginning of the match between South Africa and Mexico.
Though dozens of beach umbrellas from the park were taken out to shade fans from the heavy rain, they were still far from enough.
Liang, a resident from the city proper of Chengdu, refused to drive home despite he was all wet when sharing an umbrella with two friends.
There were also female fans in the frenzied crowd.
Li, a female office staff working in Chengdu, said she joined her male friends to watch this year’s game for she felt isolated if she did not.
Women neglected by their soccer fan husbands during every World Cup were joked as “soccer widows”.
“I don’t want to be a soccer window myself, so I joined the carnival this year”, said Li.
Without much knowledge of football, she was dressed in a yellow soccer suit and screamed with the crowd, looking like an enthusiastic soccer fan.
There were also African drums and native bands performing in the park during the opening night.
Being the opening day of the park’s annual beer festival, June 11 also marked the beginning of a one-month celebration.
“Citizens and visitors are welcome to the park to drink beer and watch games at anytime during the month. Though not everyone of us has the chance to go to South Africa, we can go to South Lake Park instead,” joked Liang Yaowen, general director of Sichuan Branch of sina.com, an organizer of the one-month celebration.
