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Evidence in Late Tang China
5 pieces of evidence found.
Id DLP.Evidence.809
Type Contemporary rule description
Game Xiangqi
Date 0779-01-01 - 0847-12-31
Rules Two players, horse moves orthogonally one and then diagonally one space, soliders move one space forward, commanders move orthogonally, baggage wagons move forward only.
Content Passage from Huan Kwai Lu ("The Book of Marvels"): "In the first year of the period of Pao Ting (A.D. 762) Tsêng-Shun of Ju-Nan heard one night the sound of a military drum in the Lady Lu's house. A man in full armor announced the news from the General of the golden elephant (kin siang triang kun) about the battle with the thieves of Tien-No. Shun kindled a light in order to see better, and after midnight a mouse-hole in the east wall changed into a city gate. Two armies stood opposite one another. When he had arranged the army, the general (shwai) entered and said: 'The celestial horse (t'ien ma)springs aslant over three, the commanders (shang-tsiang) go sidewards and attack on all four sides, the baggage-wagons (tze cho) go straight forwards and never backwards, the six men (liu kia) in armour go in file but not backwards.' Then the drum sounded and from either army a horse moved out three steps aslant. Again the drum sounded and on either side a foot-soldier moved sidewards one step. Once again the drum was sounded, the wagons moved forwards, and in an instant the shot from the cannon (p'ao) fell in confusion. He made a hole through the east wall, and found a set of siang k'i in an old tomb, with wagons (ku) and horses in rank and file." (Murray 1913: 123–124)
Confidence 100
Social status Non-Elite, Military
Genders Male
Source Murray, H. J. R. 1913. A History of Chess. London: Oxford University Press.
, Niu Sengru. Xuanguai Lu. (Trans. Murray 1913: 123–124).
Id DLP.Evidence.2056
Type Contemporary text
Game Chang Xing
Date 0800-01-01 - 0850-12-31
Rules Name of the game, similar to Shuang Lu.
Content Account of Chang Xing, from Li Zhao (early ninth century): "For gambling games today, the most popular is the game of chang xing. For the game, there are a board and pieces, fifteen yellow and fifteen black, and two dice for throwing combinations. The method of play has its origins in the game of wo shuo, and evolved from the game of shuang lu. Empress Wu Zeitan dreamt of playing the game of shuang lu and not winning, and summmoned Di Renjie, Duke of Liang, to explain the dream. The Duke of Liang said to her "This is the image of having no [piece] in the [inner table of the board]. Later on, people came up with a new idea, and the game of chang xing emerged." Lo 2004: 99.
Confidence 100
Ages Adult
Social status Elite, Royalty
Genders Female, Male
Source Lo, A. 2004. "Double Sixes, Holding Spears, and the Long March: Games of the Backgammon Family in China." In C. Mackenzie and I. Finkel, eds. Asian Games: The Art of Contest. New York, Asia Society, 97-111.
Id DLP.Evidence.2057
Type Contemporary text
Game Chang Xing
Date 0834-01-01 - 0879-12-31
Rules Fifteen pieces per player, one playing as black and one as yellow. Two dice. Pieces which are alone on a space are vulnerable.
Content Story of the vision of Scholar Zhang, as written by Zhang Du (834-879 CE): "he say Daoist priests and Buddhist monks, fifteen of each, come out from the main hall. Their appearances and heights were all the same, and they were lined up in six columns...After a while, two objects swirled on the ground. Each had twenty-one eyes, and among these, four flashed with the color of fire. These two chased each other; their eyes were dazzling, and the made a grating noise. Soon, the thirty monks and priests sped or ran, east or west, south or north. If a priest stood alone, he would be struck down by a monk...The next day, Scholar Zhang looked for them, and in the corner of a wall found a tattered bag. Inside, there were thirty chang xing pieces and a pair of dice." Lo 2004: 100.
Confidence 100
Social status Elite
Genders Male
Source Lo, A. 2004. "Double Sixes, Holding Spears, and the Long March: Games of the Backgammon Family in China." In C. Mackenzie and I. Finkel, eds. Asian Games: The Art of Contest. New York, Asia Society, 97-111.
Id DLP.Evidence.2078
Type Contemporary text
Game Cai Xuan
Date 0827-01-01 - 0838-12-31
Rules 78 spaces. Two six-sided dice. Players are promoted or demoted based on the rolls of the dice.
Content Summary of Fang Qianli's Touzi xuan ge (Rules for Selection through Dice): "No diagram of the board survives, and only Fang's preface and a list of 78 official titles of the Tang period remain...Fang then notes a few successful candidates of the civil service examination playing this game with two cubic dice by the shore of Lake Dongting in 838, being promoted or demoted according to luck." Lo 2004: 65.
Confidence 100
Ages Adult
Social status Elite, Nobility
Genders Male
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.
Id DLP.Evidence.2101
Type Contemporary rule description
Game Chupu
Date 0772-01-01 - 0841-12-31
Rules Five two-sided dice, one side black, one side white. Two dice have a pheasant on the white side and a cow on the black side. "Royal" throws are as follows: five black = 16; five white = 8; three black and two pheasant = 14; three white and two cows = 10; "Mixed" throws are: one pheasant, one cow, three white = 12; one pheasant, one cow, three black = 11; two pheasants, two white, one black = 5; two cows, two black, one white =4; three white, two black = 3; three black and two white =2. Royal throws grant the player an extra throw. Twenty pieces in five colors. 120 spaces, separated by two barriers into three zones. One space is a pit. A royal throw is required to pass a barrier or to escape the pit.Pieces may only land on the same spot as another of the player's pieces after the first barrier. If a player's piece lands on a space occupied by an opponent's piece, the opponent's piece is a hit. Hitting a piece gives the player an extra throw.
Content Summary of the description of Chupu in the Wumu jing (Book of Five Woods) by Li Ao in Yang: "According to the Wu-mu ching 2T7t, attributed to Li Ao
the game shu-p'u uses five pieces of wood as dice. Each
piece is black on one side and white on the other. Two of the
pieces bear a carved pattern of a pheasant on the white side and
that of a cow on the black side. There are six " royal throws"
(wang-ts'ai ), and six " mixed throws " (yurn-ts'ai .
The royal throws are:
1. lu black -five black, which counts 16 points (i. e.,
it enables the player to move his draughtsmen for 16
spaces),
92. pai white-five white, which counts 8 points,
3. chih pheasant "-two pheasant and three black, 14
points, and 4. niu cow or tu calf -two cows and three white,
10 points.
The mixed throws are:
1. k'ai opening -one pheasant, one cow, and three white,
12 points,
2. sai blocking -one pheasant, one cow, and three black,
11 points,
3. t'a pagoda? -two pheasants, two white, and one black,
5 points,
4. t'u bald-headed? -two cows, two black, and one
white, 4 points,
5. chiteh "holding? -three white and two black, 3
points, and
6. hsiao owl -three black and two white, 2 points.
According to the Wu-mu ching, in shu-p'u there are 120 spaces
separated by two barriers or passes (kuan ) into three zones,
presumably on a board. One of the spaces represents a pit (k'eng). Twenty horses (ma ) or men are in five colors, presumably
for as many as five players. Horses are moved according to the
throw. They may be doubled up only after crossing the first
barrier. A player's horses may be hit by his opponent's men if
the latter arrive at the space occupied by the former. A royal
throw is needed to cross a barrier or to save a horse in the pit.
Making a royal throw or hitting a horse of the opponent entitles
the player to another throw." Yang 1952: 132-133.
Confidence 100
Ages Adult
Social status Elite
Genders Female
Source Yang, L.-S. 1952. "An Additional Note on the Ancient Game Liu-po." Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 15(1-2): 124-139.
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