Children play soccer in Haimen district in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo/ntfabu.com] 

The soccer town in Haimen district in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province has been listed among the provincial towns with its own characteristics, according to an announcement by the Jiangsu Development and Reform Commission on Jan 11. 

Twenty towns in the province made the list. 

The 3.1-square-kilometer soccer town, which cost more than 5 billion yuan ($736.07 million) to build, is currently home to the Zhongnan Codion Football Club. The club has 25 coaches and over 200 players and has cultivated more than 120 national players to date.

A bird's eye view of the soccer town in Haimen district in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo/ntfabu.com]