The Tibetan Weiqi is a kind of traditional game which played with black and white pieces on a board of 289 crosses. It once had been popular in the Tibetan Plateau. The resemblance of the Tibetan Weiqi and traditional Chinese Weiqi is amazing that it inspires the interests on its origin by researchers. There are various theories about the origin of the Tibetan Weiqi, and the idea which the ancient game had been taken into the Tibetan Plateau and evolved into the Tibetan Weiqi had been adopted by researchers now.

‍There are two kinds of the Tibetan Weiqi, one is “Mimang” and another is “Jiuqi ”. The Mimang Weiqi was very popular among the upper classes of the Tibetan ethnic group in ancient times, but it has been almost disappeared today. Hhowever，The Jiuqi Weiqi is more widely spread now.‍

‍‍Moreover，more attention and protection need to be given on The Tibetan Weiqi. The Tibetan Weiqi Association in the Tibet Autonomous Region was set up on August 28th in 2016, the goal of the association is to protect the Tibetan Weiqi and popularize more information and knowledge about it. The members of the association include organizations and individuals who are interest in the Tibetan Weiqi and care about its inheritance. It is reported that the exhibition matches about the Tibetan Weiqi has been played in Lhasa during the Shoton Festival(an important traditional festival of the Tibetan ethnic group).‍‍

‍ ‍‍Time: 2016-12-10‍‍‍

Source: China’s Tibetannet