Cunba: Hoops, Hope, and Heart of China's Mountain Courts

CunBA: Hoops, Hope, and Heart of China's Mountain Courts captures the energy, emotion, and cultural depth of a grassroots basketball movement that has become a defining symbol of rural China. Set in the lush hills of Guizhou Province, this narrative nonfiction work explores how local villagers, driven by passion and community pride, turned an informal basketball tradition into a national phenomenon.

Through vivid storytelling, firsthand interviews, and immersive scene-setting, journalist and author Cao Wen presents CunBA as more than a sporting event-- it is a cultural celebration, a symbol of ethnic unity, and a powerful expression of modern rural life. As the tournament brings together folk customs, traditional festivals, and youthful energy, it reflects both the enduring vitality of village communities and the promise of rural revitalization in the new era.

Blending reportage with a literary flair, CunBA offers readers a rare window into contemporary China beyond its cities. It is a story of joy, resilience, and transformation-- where basketball becomes a shared heartbeat for a region, and a game becomes a bridge between tradition and change.