People of all ages welcome the arrival of the Chinese women's football team in Suzhou on Feb 7. [Photo/WeChat account: suzhoufabu365]
The Chinese women's football players who made a major comeback to beat South Korea 3-2 in the final of AFC Asian Cup in Navi Mumbai, India on the night of Feb 6 have received a warm reception after arriving in East China's Suzhou on Feb 7, the city where they will undergo a three-week-long quarantine.
It has been 16 years since the team reclaimed the Asian trophy.
Suzhou has made full preparations for the arrival of the "Steel Roses", with police officers escorting the team's bus, local residents lining the roads and setting off fireworks, and the Gate of the Orient being lit up red with a special celebratory slogan.
The quarantine hotel for the team is located near Taihu Lake, which give the players a chance to rest amid the picturesque mountain and water landscapes. This is the second time the players have quarantined in the hotel after their return from the Olympic football qualifiers in April last year.
The hotel has made special preparations for the team members, such as giving them each a stuffed animal of Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, which has become a rare item to find both online and offline.
Football has gained in popularity in Suzhou as the Chinese women's and men's football teams have come to the city for training in the recent years.
Suzhou will host the AFC Asian Cup China in 2023, the continent's top-ranked and most influential football tournament, together with another nine domestic cities of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Chengdu, Xi'an, Dalian, Qingdao and Xiamen.
A rendering of Kunshan Football Stadium, venue for AFC Asian Cup China 2023 in Suzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: suzhoufabu365]
