Go Nation: Chinese Masculinities and the Game of Weiqi in China

Asia: Local Studies / Global Themes

by Marc L. Moskowitz

Go (Weiqi in Chinese) is one of the most popular games in East Asia, with a steadily increasing fan base around the world. Both chess and Go are logic games, but Go is much older, with written records that mention the game dating back to the fourth century B.C. As Chinese politics have changed over the past millennia, so too has the imagery of the game. In Imperial China, it was seen as a tool to seek religious enlightenment and was one of the four noble arts that were requisite for becoming a cultured gentlemen. During the Cultural Revolution, it was a stigmatized emblem of the lasting effects of feudalism. Today, it marks the reemergence of cultured gentlemen as an idealized model of manhood. Marc L. Moskowitz explores the fascinating history of the game and provides a vivid snapshot of Chinese Go players today. Go Nation uses this game and provides a vivid snapshot of Chinese Go players today. Go Nation uses this game to reach a better understanding of Chinese masculinity, nationalism, and class as China reconfigures its history and traditions to meet the future.

Genres: China, Go, Nonfiction

184 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Amir · Rating 2 out of 5]

Technically correct but bland information. Not worth reading.

[映月 刘 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting observation on how mass media in both China and America shaped people's imagination of the other.

[versarbre]

random book picked up from a friend's book shelf. Not at a focused ethnography at all; but certainly the author is a cool fan of the game of Weiqi!