Yuexiushan

The stadium sits inside a natural horseshoe of Yuexiu Hill. That shape has defined the place since the municipal authorities built it between March and October 1950, fitting the tiers into the curve of the old Guanyin Hill. Yuexiushan Stadium looks nothing like the modern glass boxes rising from the city skyline.

The track is not the red rubber found in newer venues; it is a darker, worn surface that has seen more races than it admits. Security guards sit on the concrete steps, watching the empty seats. There is a sense of quiet here, a long pause between events. The hill behind the stands is thick with trees, and a communication tower stands tall above the white building perched on the ridge.

Matches played here are played in the shade of the overhang. The roof covers only the main stand, leaving the rest of the crowd exposed to the sun or the rain when it comes. The pitch is natural grass, cut short and striped, looking green against the brown edges of the running track. It is a ground that feels older than the city around it, even though the skyline has grown taller since the 1950s.

The capacity was cut back to 18,000 when plastic seats were installed, but the space still feels vast. The distance from the pitch to the highest row is considerable, and the sound of the crowd has to travel up to reach the top. People sit close together, and the view is wide, taking in the city and the hill in one glance. It is a place where the game is played at street level, surrounded by the urban sprawl of Guangzhou.