Chinese international midfielder Zhao Junzhe was among those
left mourning Monday after a pack of demolition experts used two
tons of dynamite to flatten Shenyang Wulihe Stadium, the site of
China's only successful qualifying campaign for the World Cup
finals in 2001/2.
"I am very, very depressed," said Zhao.
"I don't understand why they had to raze it to the ground. We
should not demolish everything, good or bad. I think we need to
keep some reminders of China's past soccer glory."
It took China 44 years to qualify for the World Cup finals, but
only seven seconds to obliterate one of the key pieces of
architecture that has served as both a cultural landmark and a
reminder of their success.
In its place will be built a shopping mall.
Local Chinese media were equally scornful of the decision to let
the steamroller of modernization chew up the stadium.
"Dream demolished," wrote Titan Sports. "It takes just seven
seconds to destroy China's only dream place at the World Cup."
Sina.com also lamented the loss. "All the sweet memories have
gone along with the explosion. History has disappeared
forever."
Media coverage on the issue was strictly prohibited in Shanyang,
and in Liaoning Province as a whole.
Despite this, hundreds of fans gathered to watch Monday's
demolition of the 60,000-capacity stadium, where China beat Oman
1-0 in October 2001 to qualify for the following year's World Cup
finals in South Korea and Japan.
In the days that followed, wreaths began to litter the site.
Li Ming, a former teammate of Zhao, was in an equally nostalgic
mood.
"There was a lot of emotion, especially at the World Cup
qualifiers. I will never forget it," he said.
Fans seemed generally opposed to the demolition.
"I cried the whole night, " said Zhou Zhe, a 24-year-old local
resident. "The stadium is a symbol of Chinese football and also a
symbol for the city of Shenyang. I've always been proud of it."
Others saw the move as positive for Chinese soccer, clearing
away old cobwebs in order to march boldly forward.
"That qualification match is a part of history," said Ma Mingyu,
China's captain in 2001. "But Chinese soccer has plenty to do and
we should look to the future."
The site of the stadium will be redeveloped as a shopping
center, while a new 60,000-seat arena is being built in the
northeastern city to host preliminary-round matches for the 2008
Olympic soccer tournament.
(China Daily February 15, 2007)