On January 5, 2017, just five days before Yin Mingshan's 80th birthday, the veteran entrepreneur made an appearance at the launch of Wuhan Jinsheng Group's takeover of Chongqing Lifan Salon.
Dressed in Zhongshan suit, black leather shoes, neat hair, he walked up to the stage with a steady gait, and delivered a short but meaningful speech with no less than a young man's gesture, and finally gave his blessing for the future of Chongqing soccer: "Prosperity."
On May 24, 2022, Chongqing Two Rivers Athletic Football Salon announced the news that it was retiring from the Chinese Super League and suspending its operations. 84-year-old Yin Mingshan rushed to the scene after hearing the news, and in the face of the status quo, he was so emotional that he couldn't help but burst into tears.
After inquiring about the status of the treasurer's paycheck, he indignantly stated, "How can you close a business if you haven't been paid?"
Yin Mingshan, as the "motorcycle king" and once the "richest man in Chongqing", has invested in Chongqing soccer for 17 years.
In 1997, Chongqing soccer ushered in a turning point in its history when the Wuhan Avant-garde Huandao Salon moved to Chongqing, bringing the city a soccer frenzy. 2000, Yin Mingshan purchased the Avant-garde Huandao Salon for 55.8 million yuan, renamed it "Chongqing Lifan Soccer Salon", and on November 12, Lifan won the AFC Cup with 40,000 fans in Chongqing cheering them on. Lifan won the AFC Cup on November 12 with 40,000 Chongqing fans cheering.
Yin also spent 80 million yuan to buy the Chongqing Yanghe Stadium, creating Lifan's Yanghe training base. 2001 Lifan ranked 9th in the first A, and won 6th place in 2002, laying the groundwork for the Super League.
However, in 2003, Lifan's performance declined and faced the relegation crisis of the last generation of A League. In a "lose and get into the Super League" drama, although Tianjin team lost to Shanghai International team on the road, but "lose and get into the Super League" embarrassing situation did not happen.
At the end of 2003, Yin Mingshan bought Yunnan Hongta's "Chinese Super League Shell" for 38 million dollars, Lifan successfully "borrowed the shell to return to the soul", and became a member of the first year of the Chinese Super League. However, the journey in the Super League is not smooth, Lifan for three consecutive years at the bottom.
In 2006, Lifan succeeded in reaching the Super League under the perseverance of Yin Mingshan, but was relegated the following year due to poor results. After that, Lifan had its ups and downs, and was relegated and promoted to the Super League several times.
In 2015, Yin Mingshan decided to transfer Lifan Salon due to economic pressure, but ultimately failed to come to fruition.In 2016, Wuhan Jinshi Group entered the ownership of Lifan Salon, Lifan Salon was renamed Chongqing Jinshi Lifan Football Salon.
Yin said he has invested 840 million yuan in Chongqing soccer over the past 17 years, and despite the ups and downs, he has never let the city down.
After Yin Mingshan retired from the Lifan salon, he said he had not left Chongqing in 79 years and was willing to contribute to the city's economic construction, culture and education.
"When I took over soccer, Chongqing soccer was A-A, the equivalent of the Chinese Super League, and now when I handed over the dominance, it's still the Chinese Super League, and I didn't let the city down."
Yoon said he originally wanted to leave the soccer salon in the hands of his family, but the children were not interested in soccer.
"I am indeed older, originally intended to be the soccer piece to the family, but children's hobbies are often not the same as their parents, so I do not force them to do what they like to do, for example, my son is more interested in racing, he went to do that just go to do it, I do not force them. If my family is as obsessed as I am, then I will definitely continue to do it."
On the day the Chongqing Two Rivers Athletic announced its closing, Yin said no one communicated with him about the salon's share reform from start to finish.
