Leifeng Pagoda Sugoroku Strategy and Tips

Here is how to think about winning at Leifeng Pagoda Sugoroku, split into short lessons. Each one reads on its own, and each one comes with a real position: press Try it on the board and you play the move yourself.

The Legend of the White Snake: who is on the board

Lesson 1

The Legend of the White Snake is the tale of a white snake spirit who takes human form and marries a young man. The White Lady (4, 15) is the spirit; she marries Xu Xuan (2, 11), a young apothecary. Xiaoqing (3, 14) is her maid, a green snake spirit.

Lending the Umbrella (6, 17) is how they meet: caught in the rain at West Lake, the White Lady and Xiaoqing borrow Xu Xuan's umbrella. Treasury Theft (7, 18), Gift of Silver (8, 19) and Stolen Silver Found (9, 20): silver stolen from a government store reaches Xu Xuan from the White Lady and is found on him, and he is exiled. The Escort Officer (13, 22) takes him away; the Brother-in-law (5, 16) is his sister's husband.

The Maoshan Taoist (12, 21) sees through the White Lady and tries to drive her off. The White Crane Boy (24, 29) guards the herb she fetches from an immortals' mountain to save a life. In The Flood (27, 36) she raises the waters against Jinshan Temple to win back Xu Xuan.

Chan Master Fahai (31, 37) is the Jinshan monk who seals her under the Leifeng Pagoda; Pagoda Seals Snake (32, 38) says just that, and beyond it lies the pagoda itself in the centre. The Vajra Guardian (1, 10) is a mighty protector of the Buddhist law, and Rejoicing (26, 35) shows a couple side by side. We have not confirmed which scenes Squire Li, Realgar Array, Raising a Son and Fish Spirit & Child refer to.

Twin pictures: where each of the 20 pairs leads

Lesson 2

The 20 pairs are 1 and 10 (Vajra Guardian), 2 and 11 (Xu Xuan), 3 and 14 (Xiaoqing), 4 and 15 (White Lady), 5 and 16 (Brother-in-law), 6 and 17 (Lending the Umbrella), 7 and 18 (Treasury Theft), 8 and 19 (Gift of Silver), 9 and 20 (Stolen Silver Found), 12 and 21 (Maoshan Taoist) and 13 and 22 (Escort Officer). Stop early on the outer ring and you leap 9 to 11 squares ahead.

On the inner rings: 23 and 28 (Squire Li), 24 and 29 (White Crane Boy), 25 and 30 (Realgar Array), 26 and 35 (Rejoicing), 27 and 36 (The Flood), 31 and 37 (Chan Master Fahai), 32 and 38 (Pagoda Seals Snake), 33 and 39 (Raising a Son) and 34 and 40 (Fish Spirit & Child). Stop on 26 or 27 and you jump 9 squares into the third ring; stop on 33 or 34 and you land just short of the centre.

Stop on the earlier square of a pair and you go forward; stop on the later one and you go back. Either way, you never move again from the twin.

You cannot choose your roll, so you cannot choose where you go — but the label box under the board always shows "Twin picture: square N", so you can see where your square's twin is.

Going back: most squares near the centre send you back

Lesson 3

Squares 10–11, 14–22, 28–30 and 35–40 are the later pictures of their pairs. Stop on one and you go back to its twin.

It stings most near the centre: stop on 35 (Rejoicing) or 36 (The Flood) and you fall 9 squares back to 26 or 27; stop on 37 to 40 and you drop 6 squares to 31–34.

You do not move again from the twin. From there, you simply roll again next turn.

To reach the Leifeng Pagoda you need a roll that carries you past 35–40 without stopping on them. The numbered dots (1 to 6) in the zoomed view show where each roll would stop.

Finishing: over is fine, or the exact roll

Lesson 4

The Leifeng Pagoda comes after square 40. With the default "Over is fine", any roll that reaches the pagoda wins, however many pips are left over.

Squares 35 to 40 all send you back, so the winning rolls are the ones that carry you to the pagoda without stopping there: from 39, any of 2–6; from 40, anything.

With the "Exact roll" house rule you must land exactly. Extra pips move you back from the pagoda, and if that lands you on 35–40 you go back again to the twin picture. Games run longer — try it when you want a slower game.

The print states no finishing rule, so both are BGJ's reconstruction. The default, "Over is fine", keeps the rules simple and the game a sensible length.

Try it on the board

Pick a lesson and the board starts from that position. Start over as often as you like.

Now put it to work

Last updated 2026-09-25 · Run by Qdan, Inc.