Intl students gather in Shanghai for 10th collegiate weiqi championship

The 10th Annual World Collegiate Weiqi Championship kicked off at Fudan University in Shanghai on Wednesday, gathering young players from around the world.

In 1995, under the support of Shanghai Yingchang Qi Weiqi Education Foundation, Fudan University established the first amateur weiqi (an ancient Chinese board game) academy in Chinese universities, pioneering the integration of chess education.

"Young weiqi players from all over the world are expected to meet friends and interact with each other, experiencing the unique charm of weiqi culture in the layout, and colliding sparks of youth friendship in the intersection of ideas," said Qiu Xin, Party chief of Fudan University.

Chang Hao, president of the Chinese Weiqi Association, said for over a decade, the championship has become a highly influential international exchange event in the hearts of global university weiqi enthusiasts. It has played an irreplaceable role in promoting the popularization of weiqi in universities worldwide, spreading the Chinese weiqi culture, and facilitating exchanges and mutual learning among young people around the world.

For the first time, the championship will be held for the first time in a Chinese mainland university from July 7 to 13 at Fudan University. The official competition will take place from July 8 to 11, with a total of 150 contestants registered to participate.

The average age of the contestants is 23.2 years old, and the minimum age is 17 years old. The number of participating universities and the scale of on-site competitions in the championship have both reached a new historic high.