The 2016 Xiamen Go Congress was held in Xiang'an District on May 9 and 10, with masters Nie Weiping, Li Changhao and Chang Hao attending. Amateur players from different places and 365 youth players from kindergartens, primary and secondary schools in Xiang'an competed.
At the Congress, Li Changhao, one of the highest level players in Korea, and the ninth level Chinese player Chang Hao played a special game with one another, setting off a high-level international contest. The commentators for this game were also masters: Nie Weiping and Zhang Xuan.
The 5th Maritime Silk Road Amateur Go Tournament, held at the same time, attracted lots of amateur players from Xiamen, Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Taiwan and beyond to compete together.
First launched in 2012, it has become the largest scale and highest level amateur Go tournament to bridge both sides of the Taiwan Strait, while at the same time also promoting, popularising and developing Go in Xiang'an.
In addition, some 17 teams, made up of 365 children from Xiang'an kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, took part in the children's competition. In Xiang'an District, many schools have even opened free training classes and invited professional players to teach children. As a result, the game of Go is popular among the district’s children and thousands of students sign up to learn.
"So many kids like playing Go there, it seems to be the bright future of Chinese Go." Nie Weiping said.
"The game of Go is full of cultural factors," Luo Yun, the Vice Chairman of Fujian Go Association said, "It benefits the culture in Xiang'an."
China announced and implemented on May 15 a policy allowing visa-free entry of foreign tourist groups aboard cruise ships via all cruise ship ports along the country's coastline.
China and Georgia are set to waive visa requirements for travelers starting May 28.
