Shanghai Greenland Shenhua FC, the Chinese Super League (CSL) football club, has struck a strategic partnership deal with the Oriental Pearl Tower, a popular landmark in the city. The deal was finalised last Saturday, just ahead of the the 2016 CSL season.

After the signing ceremony, Wu Xiaohui, Shenhua’s president, led the players to the top of the 259-meter-high tower, which was decorated with Shenhua-blue lights that evening. 

Under their partnership, the pair will make it a tradition to climb the Tower, since reaching a high platform means promotion and success in Chinese.

The deal will also see the Oriental Pearl Tower set up an official shop where fans can buy various Shenhua franchised products. In addition to this, the Shenhua-blue lights will be lit throughout the Tower on the club’s match days.

Shenhua is based in Kangqiao, Shanghai and their home stadium is the Hongkou Football Stadium. The current majority shareholders are the Chinese developers, the Greenland Group.

Proofread by John Devlin.