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Evidence for Sheng Guan Tu
1 pieces of evidence found.
Id DLP.Evidence.2135
Type Artifact
Location 32° 3'18.88"N, 118°46'24.32"E
Date 1368-01-01 - 1911-12-31
Rules The board is a square, with 72 rectangular subdivisions and grouped. each square has positions and titles, and instructions on when to move pieces to another space. Six six-sided dice. Players move according to the throws of the dice and moving according to whether those dice indicate virtue, ability, obedience, or corruption. The throws of the dice are: double 4s: virtue; double 6s: ability; double 2s, 3s, or 5s: obedience; double 1s: corruption. The goal is to achieve the highest rank, Tai shi (Grand Preceptor) which is in the central square of the board.
Content "Possibly the earliest surviving representation of a promotion game is preserved in the National Library of China. It is a square sheet, entitled sheng guan tu (official promotion diagram) and measuring 62 square centimeters, printed in Jinling (Nanjing) by Lei Weigong, with more than seventy-two departments. It is catalogued as a Qing-period (1644-1911) edition, but it may be a reprint of a Ming edition, as it contains Ming institutions such as the Jin yi wei (Embroidered Uniform Guard) and the Yuan ma si (Pasturage Office), among others. The number of dice has now been increased to six, with double fours for virtue, double sixes for ability, double twos, threes, or fives for obedience, and double aces for corruption. The highest position is tai shi (Grand Preceptor) and his ultimate retirement in glory.
Confidence 100
Source Lo, A. 2004. "Official Aspirations: Chinese Promotion Games." In C. Mackenzie and I. Finkel (eds.), Asian Games: The Art of Contest. New York: Asia Society, 65-75.
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