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CHINA may not have its own team in the World Cup, but that hasn't stopped tens of thousands of local soccer fans from enjoying the tournament, and some local businesses from cashing in on the grand occasion.

Although few soccer fans can afford to fly to Germany to watch the games, many have been enjoying the soccer in bars and clubs while drinking beer. "It is so much fun to watch the games and cheer for favorite teams with friends," said Cao Jianlin, a salesman living in Nanshan District, Shenzhen.

Some women who are not interested in soccer are following the matches with their husbands or boyfriends.

"I feel so happy. My girlfriend, who used to have no interest in soccer at all, watched the World Cup game till 4 a.m. together with me until she falls asleep. She gave me such a happy surprise," a soccer fanatic wrote on a local online forum.

Doctors have advised fans who burn the midnight oil and work during the day to rest at noon. "Staying up late and eating snacks could also cause excessive 'internal heat' in the body, so it's better the fans eat more light food and soup," said Li Yiming, a doctor with the No. 2 People's Hospital.

The World Cup being held in Germany may even cool down the overheated property market and affect the trading volume of the local stock market.

"Watching live telecasting of World Cup games at night could bring more fatigues to Asian people than people in Europe and America," said a finance expert. "Traders may therefore neglect investment management and cause the cooling of stock market." The stocks in Shanghai and Shenzhen exchanges slumped last week.

Editor: Wing