Xiangqi (Chinese Chess)
01 · Historical Records
The origin of xiangqi (Chinese chess) can be traced back to liubo, the six-caster game of the Warring States period. The “Baoying xiangqi” recorded by Niu Sengru in the Xuanguai lu of the Tang already showed the embryo of xiangqi pieces, and in the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang the post of “chess attendant awaiting appointment” was established, with players serving the inner court with their chess skill. By the Northern Song the number of pieces had risen to 32, and the two sides in red and black, the board of ten horizontal and nine vertical lines, and the “river” and the “nine palaces” took fixed shape; at the end of the Southern Song, Chen Yuanliang's Shilin guangji included one of the earliest surviving xiangqi manuals.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Xiangqi has a long history and is an important part of traditional Chinese culture; it has enthusiasts in China, in Asia and in many regions of the world, and is a traditional game of intellectual skill and competition with a high degree of popularization. The nine palaces on the board symbolize the imperial palace: the shuai (general), who stands for the emperor, and the shi, who stands for the guards close to the emperor, may move only within the nine palaces; the xiang (minister), who stands for the great ministers, may move only around the nine palaces; and the bing (soldier), who stands for the fighters, may advance but never retreat. This arrangement is a true reflection of life in Chinese feudal society, and the process of play carries the instructive meaning of studying ancient warfare. As the times move forward, xiangqi, which carries traditional Chinese culture, has taken a place in world culture with its distinctive way of thinking and its marked competitive character. With the development of society and the growth of international exchange in the present era, xiangqi has already won broad recognition throughout the world, and the founding of the World Xiangqi Federation and the Asian Xiangqi Association has extended the influence of Chinese xiangqi to other countries and regions of the world.
The palace, the river and thirty-two pieces
A river divides the board and a diagonally marked palace at each end confines the general and his guards.
Restrictions on general, guard and elephant
General and guards stay in the palace, elephants circle it, and soldiers only advance, a layout mirroring the old social order.
The moves of horse, elephant and cannon
Each piece moves its own way: the horse in an L with a blocking point, the elephant diagonally within its side, the cannon by jumping a piece.
The Shilin Guangji and early manuals
The late-Song encyclopaedia preserves early game records, followed in Ming and Qing times by classic manuals on opening and endgame play.
World and Asian xiangqi federations
Growing international contact brought worldwide recognition, and the world and Asian federations spread the game beyond China.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Xiangqi spread on the basis of the towns and marketplaces, and in modern times professional players and a mode of transmission through teahouse chess stalls took shape in cities such as Shanghai, Beiping, Guangzhou and Chengdu. In 1956 xiangqi was listed as an official national sports competition item, and the monthly Xiangqi was founded in Guangzhou in the same year; the Chinese Xiangqi Association, established afterwards, is responsible for national competitions and for the management of player rank titles. The spread of chess academies, children's palaces and school chess courses in various places has made xiangqi one of the traditional intellectual games with the largest number of participants.
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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Xiangqi is simple and easy to learn, yet because its variations are endless it is easy to start and hard to master; it carries cultural, educational, competitive and recreational value, and from ancient times to the present it has always been deeply loved by the people. Although xiangqi performs a number of important functions and has enthusiasts in China and around the world, with economic development the way of life in modern society has greatly shocked traditional cultural sports items, and this ancient national essence too faces new crises and likewise stands in need of protection.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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