How did xiangqi reach Vietnam?
These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws and is regression-tested against the official 110-diagram repetition casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it against the engine before publishing.
Direct answer
Through long cultural contact with China — the game travelled with the same exchange that brought Chinese script, administration and literature to Vietnam. Cờ tướng is the same game with the same rules, and its piece names are the Sino-Vietnamese readings of the same characters.
The names
Tướng (將 general), Sĩ (士 advisor), Tượng (象 elephant), Mã (馬 horse), Xe (車 chariot), Pháo (砲 cannon), Tốt (卒 soldier). A Vietnamese player already has the vocabulary — these are not translations but the same words read in Vietnamese.
Vietnam today
Vietnam is the second country in the world for this game. It has a national federation, a full competitive calendar, regular world-championship medallists, and park play in every city — the same informal culture found in China.
Related questions
Do Vietnamese rules differ?
Not in movement. Tournament regulations follow the organising federation, as everywhere.
Is cờ tướng a different game?
No, it is xiangqi. Only the language differs.
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