The History of Chinese Games

For centuries, the Chinese have had a rich tradition of games, some of which they invented.

Martial Arts

Shaolin monks practicing fight moves
Historians believe the martial arts were invented in about 2600 B.C. Sun Tzu wrote about it in "The Art of War" in about 550 B.C.

Kites
A dragon kite
Some of the earliest kites were invented in China around 800 B.C. They were of elaborate design, made of bamboo and silk.

Chess Games
A Go game board
The ancient Chinese have various board games. The most popular is called Go, which first appeared in 2000 B.C. A variation of Go called Xiang Qi (Chinese chess) bares more of a resemblance to the modern American chess game.

Cards
The earliest known account of Chinese playing cards is from 1294, when two men were caught gambling and were believed to have had cards in their possession. Another account is from a 15th-century scholar who noted that he was the recipient of contempt from fellow students for not knowing how to play cards.

People used kites to measure distances and test the wind's strength. Chess games were highly valued in ancient Chinese society as a barometer of one's intellect; legend has it that a Chinese ruler had invented chess to educate his son. Martial arts in ancient China developed out of self-defense needs and military training; by the seventh century A.D., Chinese monks had adopted the art form--particularly kung fu--to defend their monastery and their country.