CS Asia Championships conclude in Shanghai, success highlights city's growing esports community

"Every time when someone asked me about the best city I've visited, I would say it is Shanghai. It is a really nice city," Meneghini said. "The Chinese fans are amazing, and the tournament was great. We are friends with some Chinese players as well, and they are very kind and humble."

For team Liquid, they summarized this trip as a journey of "improvement, development and chemistry". Jonathan "EliGE" Jablonowski from the team, who has a large Chinese fanbase, is always impressed by the city and the nation's audiences.

"It's always been nice and great experience to come to China, as everybody is really nice and friendly," Jablonowski said. "The coolest thing of being a professional esports player over 10 years is being able to travel, see the world, meet different people and cultures."

The love for esports is bridging people with different backgrounds and fostering a global community. Chen Yuhang and Ma Qi, both 22, enjoyed the show with the friendship with other members of the community.

"This is my first time to see a Counter-Strike tournament offline and I am amazed," Chen said. "The esports atmosphere in China is getting stronger, and it is always interesting to know different people through the game and event."

Shanghai has been ramping up efforts to become a global esports hub. Official data shows that in the first half of the year, Shanghai's esports tournament revenue reached 508 million yuan ($71.31 million), accounting for 46.91 percent of the nation's total.