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Civilization Object No. 033
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Chinese Chess (Xiangqi)

象棋

China's ancient strategy board game, played by millions in parks and teahouses — a battle of wits across a river-divided board.

dna Heritage DNA
history Origin

Northern Zhou Dynasty (557–581 CE)

category Domain

traditional sports

verified Level

National Heritage

pin_drop Region

East China

pulse Status

active

Chinese chess (xiangqi) is a two-player strategy board game that has been played in China for over 1,500 years. Similar to international chess but with distinct rules including a river dividing the board, palace restrictions on certain pieces, and the cannon piece that jumps to capture. Xiangqi is deeply embedded in Chinese culture, played in parks, teahouses, and homes across the country and throughout the Chinese diaspora.

hub Knowledge Graph

Relationship Constellation

This heritage item connects to 4 entities across the atlas — masters, places, festivals, and stories.

pin_drop Shandong Province location pin_drop Beijing location person Northern and Southern Dynasties dynasty person North China region
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