What China's most unusual basketball court looks like (13 photos)
The Chinese have distinguished themselves once again, but this time not with another demographic record or a scientific and technological breakthrough. Residents of Xinchun Village in Nayong City District in Guizhou Province have built a basketball court inside a karst cave! 
A karst cave is an underground cavity with clear boundaries that was formed as a result of the dissolution of rocks (limestone or gypsum) under the influence of groundwater. The emergence of such caves is nothing new for Guizhou Province. 
Karst cave in China.
Moreover, the province is famous for its karst landscapes, so when in 2016 the village of Xinchun started talking about the need to build a basketball court, local residents almost unanimously decided that there was simply no better place to install the court than a cave! And this despite the rather controversial natural conditions... 
A village in Guizhou Province.
The initiator of the construction of the basketball court was the former headman of Xinchun village Zhang Kaixue, and then he was supported in this decision by local activist Hu Wei, who believed that the future sports ground would not only bring joy to the villagers, but also help the professional growth of future athletes. 
A basketball court in a cave.
Local residents supported this idea with all their might, so in the shortest possible time they began collecting money for further construction. Through joint efforts, the residents of Xinchun village managed to collect about 90 thousand yuan. Local authorities also joined in the collection, so by the time construction began, the budget for this event had exceeded 234 thousand yuan. 
A basketball court in a cave.
The court inside the karst cave was built in 2018. The 60-meter-high cave was equipped with stands capable of accommodating up to a thousand spectators, and a special floor covering was laid. The temperature inside the cave is almost always constant, and rarely exceeds 18 degrees Celsius. 
A basketball court inside the karst cave.
In general, the locals showed an active interest in basketball already in the 1950s. Even then, with their joint efforts, they built an improvised basketball court. 
Locals play basketball.
But the locals managed to buy quality basketball equipment only 30 (!) years later, and even then they had to sell two cows and a pig for this purpose. If only they knew then that their efforts would pay off handsomely in the 2000s! 
Locals play basketball.
The fact is that the basketball court in the karst cave has become not only a symbol of love for sports among the local population, but also turned out to be a very profitable investment! Such a unique sports arena, of course, attracted the attention of tourists from all over the world, and even people far from basketball rushed to China to see this amazing court with their own eyes! 
A basketball court inside a karst cave.
Since its opening, the basketball court in the cave has hosted competitions every year, and in 2023, the Xinchun court was featured on Chinese social media by Adidas. And, by the way, the names of 300 locals who took part in its construction are engraved at the entrance to the cave. 
A basketball court in a cave.
On June 23, 2024, the court hosted a very special basketball match, which was attended by Zheng Haixia (郑海霞), a legend of Chinese women's basketball and coach of the PRC National Basketball League Li Jianqi. 
A Special Basketball Match.
The legendary coach held a special training session for the village girls, after which she admitted that the court in the cave made an incredible impression on her, and the interest of local children in basketball “filled her heart with pride.” 
Coach Zheng Haixia.
And local residents have repeatedly admitted that after the appearance of the basketball court, they began to live much happier and richer, since they had the opportunity to diversify their leisure time, and some even professionally engage in their favorite sport! 
Local residents play basketball.
