江苏留学网

Two student players test their skills at Xiangqi, or Chinese chess, at a competition in Huaian, Jiangsu province, on June 15. [Photo/ourjiangsu.com]

Thirty international students tested their Xiangqi, or Chinese chess, skills at a competition in Huaian, Jiangsu province, on June 15. 

The traditional strategy board game saw student players battling in groups of two, aiming to capture the general (king) of the other side. The students were taught to play the board game at their schools, with experience levels ranging from three months to two years. 

According to Yang Guoneng, vice president of the Huaian Chess and Card Association, the competition marks a first for Huaian and was designed to promote traditional Chinese culture to the wider public. 

"As an integral part of our culture, Xiangqi is currently played in 20 countries around the world, and that doesn't even include the attendees' mother countries of Laos, Mongolia, Indonesia, Egypt and Ethiopia, so there's still a long way to go to in promoting Xiangqi," Yang said. 

"I hope the competition can bring Xiangqi to more international student communities and help the Chinese cultural treasure reach a wider audience," he added. 

The competition won solid support from the Chinese Chess Association. The student players were from schools such as the Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaiyin Normal University, Zhejiang University of Technology, and Zhejiang University of Science & Technology. 

Xiangqi has many distinctive features, such as the cannon (pao), which must jump to capture; a rule prohibiting the generals from facing each other directly; areas on the board called the river and palace, which restrict the movement of some pieces (but enhance that of others); and placement of the pieces on the intersections of the board lines, rather than within the squares.

The competition is attended by 30 students from 13 countries including Laos, Mongolia, Indonesia, Egypt and Ethiopia. [Photo/ourjiangsu.com]

An international student brainstorms how to defeat his rival at a Chinese chess competition in Huaian, Jiangsu province, on June 15. [Photo/ourjiangsu.com]