Kaleidoscope

The Origin of "Chu River & Han Border"

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"The river" on Chinese chess board is often marked with the phrases "Chu River" and "Han Border", but how did it get these names? Originally, "Chu River and Han Border" was the name of a chasm on Guangwu Mountain in the south bank of the Yellow River in Yingyang City of Henan Province. During the Chu-Han War in the early Western Han Dynasty, there were lots of battles between Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu of Han and Xiang Yu, the King of Chu in and around Yingyang area. Due to historical reasons, the chasm became the border between Chu and Han.

Xiangqi (Chinese Chess)

Xiangqi is a two-player Chinese board game originated from military strategies in the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Periods, by which time there had been official documents about the game. The early-stage xiangqi was composed of three components: chess pieces, dice and board. The pieces were carved out of ivory, with each player having six pieces; before starting a game, the two players would play dice; and the board was a square chess board. After a long period of development, the modern form of xiangqi appeared in the Northern Song Dynasty and caught on in the Southern Song Dynasty.

Details

The Chessboard

The Chessboard

The board on which the game of xiangqi (Chinese chess) is played is called "chessboard". It is a rectangular board that is 9 lines wide by 10 lines long, with a total of 90 crossing points. The...
Chinese Chess Going Global

Chinese Chess Going Global

As part of traditional Chinese culture, xiangqi (Chinese chess) is greatly popular in China. Not only that, it's also widely spread among Chinese compatriots in Southeast Asian countries and...