The spring qualifiers for the 2026 King Pro League (KPL) and the 2025 Nantong Haimen E-sports and Cultural Tourism Carnival are held in Haimen district, Nantong, from Sept 19 to 21. [Photo/WeChat account: haimenfabu] 

The spring qualifiers for the 2026 King Pro League (KPL) and the 2025 Nantong Haimen E-sports and Cultural Tourism Carnival were held at the Haimen E-sports Center from Sept 19 to 21. The KPL qualifiers brought together four top teams, with online viewership peaking at over one million for a single match. The players' seamless skills and the audience's enthusiastic cheers repeatedly pushed the atmosphere to a boiling point. 

Ms Zhang, a member of the audience, held a support sign and said, "I've only ever watched matches through a screen before. Coming to Haimen, I was not only able to meet my favorite players but also discovered this is Zhang Jian's hometown. I plan to explore the city after the matches." 

As the highest-tier professional e-sports tournament for Honor of Kings, China's most popular mobile game, the KPL qualifiers helped Haimen to promote the city image as the hometown of Zhang Jian and a new e-sports city nationwide, enhancing its popularity among the young people. 

The players focus on their matches at the Haimen E-sports Center. [Photo/WeChat account: haimenfabu] 

Beyond the competition, the cultural and tourism carnival was equally vibrant. The themed market attracted many young visitors, and during the event, hotel occupancy rates and dining expenditures in the area saw significant increases, with carnival vendors experiencing revenue growth of over 120 percent. 

Since its opening in June, the Haimen E-sports Center has hosted multiple events, with plans to hold over 300 events annually and introduce international competitions. 

Surrounding the e-sports center, Haimen is developing industrial clusters integrating research offices, talent apartments, and commercial buildings. Companies like Fudimai Digital and Wanhao Technology have already attracted, and a full industrial chain covering event operations, content production, and cross-border e-commerce is taking shape.