China Calls For Return of Ancient Go Manuscript
Monday September 9, 2013
Wang Runan 8P, the Vice-Chairman of the Chinese Weiqi Association, last week asked the British to return the Weiqi Classic, also known as the Dunhuang Go 
Manual, to China. The manuscript, which itself dates back to the ninth century, is a copy of the earliest known manual of go, known as weiqi (weichi) in China, where the game originated. Sinologist Frances Wood, formerly of the British Library, has put the date of the manuscript some time in the sixth century. It was taken from the “Library Cave” in Dunhuang, China in 1907 by Aurel Stein and is now in the collection of the British Library in London.
Manual, to China. The manuscript, which itself dates back to the ninth century, is a copy of the earliest known manual of go, known as weiqi (weichi) in China, where the game originated. Sinologist Frances Wood, formerly of the British Library, has put the date of the manuscript some time in the sixth century. It was taken from the “Library Cave” in Dunhuang, China in 1907 by Aurel Stein and is now in the collection of the British Library in London.
Wang was speaking at a press conference at the British Museum on September 5 to publicize British-Chinese Weiqi Cultural Exchange Event held on September 7 at the museum, hosted by the UK Research and Development Centre for Chinese Traditional Culture and the East Midland Youth Chinese Organisation, in cooperation with the British Go Association (BGA).
A partial English translation of the fascinating text of the Weiqi Classic, with notes, can be found in the Library’s database entry for the item.
Report by Tony Collman, British Correspondent for the E-Journal. Photos: BOTTOM LEFT: Wang Runan, by Tony Collman, displaying fan with calligraphy spelling out 10 principles of weiqi; TOP RIGHT: The Weiqi Classic (beginning), courtesy of the International Dunhuang Project, British Library.
Hi Hans
ReplyDeleteI wrote this report for the American Go E-Journal. This text has been taken from an early edition and contains some errors, since corrected. Please see www.usgo.org/news/2013/09/china-calls-for-return-of-ancient-go-manuscript/ for the amended text.
Also please note that the headline is slightly misleading: this appeal was not from "China" itself(i.e. the government of the People's Republic), but from Wang Runan himself.