When was chess introduced to China?

According to historical records, Zheng Guanying, a Guangdong businessman, played chess with foreigners in the late Qing Dynasty. After the Opium War, with the entry of imperialist powers into China, the opening of trading ports and the gradual development of economic, trade and cultural exchanges, chess became an elegant hobby of westerners.

Culture was also introduced into China. Xie Xiaxun, a senior chess player, recorded in the fourth volume of the first series of Complete Works of Chess before Liberation: In the 30th year of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty (1904), the World Chess Club was established at the initiative of overseas Chinese in Shanghai (at that time, chess was called the World Chess Club in China), with the purpose of studying world chess and spreading it through competitions and performances.

In addition, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Tibet and other border areas have been in close contact with western countries since ancient times, and many people can play chess.

Modern chess entered the Han nationality settlement in China in the second half of19th century, and entered the minority areas much earlier than19th century.