Features / 4 games featured
Chinese Board Games: Compare Xiangqi, Go, Mahjong and a Picture Race
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Last updated 2026-10-19 · Run by Qdan, Inc.
Explore board and tile games with a history in China through moving Xiangqi pieces, placing Go stones, collecting Mahjong sets and following a Leifeng Pagoda picture race.
Compare players, equipment, goals, time and learning effort, then follow Play to try each game in your browser.
Three Games to Try First
- Leifeng Pagoda Sugoroku
Begin with a short roll-and-move sequence and matching pictures.
- Xiangqi
Try two-player piece movement with optional legal-destination hints.
- Go
Try placing, surrounding and capturing stones on a 9×9 board.
Choose by player count and actions
For a short sequence of actions, start with Leifeng Pagoda Sugoroku; for two-player piece movement, try Xiangqi; for stone placement, try Go on a 9×9 board. Choose Mahjong to draw tiles and build sets. BGJ offers Japanese riichi mahjong, Japanese scoring for Go and reconstructed rules for the Leifeng picture race.
Compare players, equipment, goals, time and learning effort
Players and typical time come from each game’s information; learning effort follows the shared three-level guide. Time varies with settings and experience, including the chosen number of Mahjong hands. This comparison describes BGJ’s playable rules. Each game card separates sources for its connection to China from current rules and settings.
2–6 players
15–60 min
- Quick to learn1 game
- Learn step by step0 games
- More to learn3 games
- Mostly skill2 games
- Luck and skill1 game
- Mostly luck1 game
Player counts and times span the smallest to largest values in this group. Learning and luck describe each game, rather than a quality score.
| Game | Players and time | Equipment | Winning goal | Actions on a turn | Learning the rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xiangqi | 2 players, About 25 min | 9×10 intersections, river, palaces and 16 pieces per side | Checkmate the general or leave the opponent with no legal move | Move one piece according to its type | More to learn: seven piece types, river and palaces |
| Go | 2 players, About 60 min | A board of intersecting lines and black and white stones | Compare territory and captures, adding White’s komi | Place one stone on an empty intersection or pass | More to learn: captures, living groups and territory |
| Riichi Mahjong | 3–4 players, About 25 min | Numbered and honor tiles, including a concealed hand | Win hands with a yaku and compare final total scores | Draw and discard a tile; some discards can be called | More to learn: tile sets, yaku and reading discards |
| Leifeng Pagoda Sugoroku | 2–6 players, About 15 min | A spiral picture board, a marker per player and one die | Be first to reach the central Leifeng Pagoda | Roll, advance and move to the matching picture (reconstructed) | Quick to learn: roll, advance and follow the matching picture |
Move pieces: trap the opposing general
Use the different moves and threats of pieces to trap the opposing general. In Xiangqi, the river and palaces restrict where particular pieces can go. [1]
Xiangqi
Move pieces to leave the opposing general without an escape. Xiangqi uses round character pieces and a board divided by a river. A cannon captures across one intervening piece, and captured pieces stay off the board. The federation’s introduction explains the basic movements; BGJ’s optional destination hints help you practise them. [1]
- Equipment
- 9×10 intersections, river, palaces and 16 pieces per side
- Winning goal
- Checkmate the general or leave the opponent with no legal move
- Actions on a turn
- Move one piece according to its type
Place stones: compare surrounded territory
Black and White take turns placing stones to protect groups and surround territory. The Nihon Ki-in describes Go in early Chinese writings while noting that the details of its origin remain uncertain. [2]
Go
Place stones to surround territory and capture opposing stones. Go appears in early Chinese writings, while BGJ uses Japanese scoring. Stones stay where they are placed unless captured; filling all the adjacent empty points of an opposing group removes it. BGJ offers 9×9, 13×13 and 19×19 boards, so you can begin with a smaller board. [3]
- Equipment
- A board of intersecting lines and black and white stones
- Winning goal
- Compare territory and captures, adding White’s komi
- Actions on a turn
- Place one stone on an empty intersection or pass
Collect tiles: build hands and compete for points
Draw and discard tiles to build scoring combinations. A museum account identifies Mahjong as a game originating in China, while the playable version here is Japanese riichi mahjong. [4]
Riichi Mahjong
Build tile combinations to win hands and increase your points. Mahjong originated in China; BGJ offers its Japanese riichi form. A usual winning shape has four sets and a pair, with a scoring condition called a yaku also required. Watch opponents’ discards when choosing which tiles to keep; BGJ calculates the score for you. [5]
- Equipment
- Numbered and honor tiles, including a concealed hand
- Winning goal
- Win hands with a yaku and compare final total scores
- Actions on a turn
- Draw and discard a tile; some discards can be called
Picture race: reach the pagoda
Roll a die to advance across a picture board and race to the central Leifeng Pagoda. The museum dates the Chinese woodblock print to 1736–1795, while BGJ presents its movement procedure as reconstructed rules.
Leifeng Pagoda Sugoroku
Advance by the die roll and aim to reach the central Leifeng Pagoda first. The board uses a Chinese woodblock print; BGJ moves you from a landed picture to its matching twin. The museum’s 1736–1795 date concerns the print’s creation. Play instructions have not been confirmed on it, so matching-picture jumps and the movement procedure are presented as reconstructed rules. [6]
- Equipment
- A spiral picture board, a marker per player and one die
- Winning goal
- Be first to reach the central Leifeng Pagoda
- Actions on a turn
- Roll, advance and move to the matching picture (reconstructed)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some Chinese board games?
This guide covers Xiangqi, Go, Mahjong and a Leifeng Pagoda picture race. Their actions range from moving pieces and placing stones to collecting tile sets and advancing on a die roll; each card links to sources and playable rules.
Which Chinese board game should a beginner try?
Start with Leifeng Pagoda Sugoroku if you want a short sequence of actions. Its reconstructed rules involve rolling, moving and jumping to a matching picture. For a two-player strategy game, try Go on a 9×9 board or the Xiangqi tutorial.
How do Xiangqi and Go differ?
Xiangqi uses pieces with different moves to trap the opposing general, while Go uses stones with the same function to surround territory. Both are for two players: choose where to move in Xiangqi or where to place a stone in Go.
Is the Mahjong here the same as Chinese mahjong?
BGJ offers Japanese riichi mahjong. A museum account confirms Mahjong’s Chinese origin, while the playable version uses yaku, riichi and dora. It is presented as Japanese rules rather than a recreation of regional Chinese rules.
Does the Leifeng Pagoda race use its original rules?
BGJ uses reconstructed rules for Leifeng Pagoda Sugoroku. The museum dates the Chinese woodblock print to 1736–1795, but play instructions have not been confirmed on the print. Rolling to advance and moving to a matching picture are described separately as BGJ’s rules.
Sources and How BGJ Plays
- World Xiangqi Federation — A Short Introduction to XiangqiTwo-player strategy, Chinese cultural heritage, board and piece movements / Checked: ↩
- The Nihon Ki-in — History of GoOrigins: references in early Chinese writings and uncertainty about the beginnings (Japanese) / Checked: ↩
- The Nihon Ki-in and Kansai Ki-in — Japanese Rules of Go: Article 10, deciding the resultTerritory and captures; see BGJ rules for board-size and komi settings (Japanese) / Checked: ↩
- Middlebury College Museum of Art — Asian Games: The Art of ContestMemory and Matching paragraph: identifies Mahjong as originating in China / Checked: ↩
- Japan Professional Mahjong League — Adopted Yaku ListJapanese scoring patterns and tile combinations; BGJ settings do not duplicate the entire tournament ruleset (Japanese) / Checked: ↩
- Cleveland Museum of Art — Leifeng Pagoda Board GameObject record and print: China, Qianlong period, 1736–1795, woodblock on paper; separate from BGJ’s reconstructed rules / 2025.105 / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Xiangqi: BGJ rulesSetup, play, winning and settings / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Go: BGJ rulesSetup, play, winning and settings / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Riichi Mahjong: BGJ rulesSetup, play, winning and settings / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Leifeng Pagoda Sugoroku: BGJ rulesSetup, play, winning and settings (reconstructed rules) / Checked: ↩