With a time-honored history, Chinese chess, or Xiang Qi, plays an important role in traditional Chinese culture. Xiang Qi is a strategy board game, widely popular in China and other Asian countries. The Jiugong in Xiangqi stands for two palaces. Each King and its accompanying mandarins, such as Shi, Xiang and Zu, on the chess are restricted to its own palace. Xiangqi is a vivid reflection on the feudal and hierarchical society in ancient China. Playing Xiangqi is of great importance to learn about military strategies and wars. Xiangqi, with its unique mode of competition and characteristics, holds a prominent position in the world’s cultural outcomes as one symbol of Chinese traditional culture.

Xiangqi is easy to learn but difficult to master with its great value on culture, education, competition and entertainment. With the social development and international cultural exchanges, well-recognized Xiangqi has spread to more countries since the foundation of World Xiangqi Federation and Asian Xiangqi Federation

In spite of its diverse functions and numerous fans around the world, now Chinese Xiangqi is in urgent need of protection and support under the impact of the social development.

Translator: ZHANG Ruochen