How are printed xiangqi diagrams oriented?
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
By convention, Red is drawn at the bottom of the page, with Red's palace nearest the reader, and Black occupies the top. This mirrors the usual chess convention of putting White at the bottom, and it is a convention rather than a rule: nothing about play depends on which side of the page either colour sits on.
Why it is worth checking anyway
Some publications, especially older Chinese sources, reverse it. If a diagram's file numbering does not match the position you expect (Red's numbers running the opposite direction from what you are used to), check the orientation before assuming the notation is wrong. It usually is not.
What does not change with orientation
The rule that each side counts files from its own right stays fixed to the pieces, not to the page. Flip the diagram and Red's file numbers still run from Red's own right, they just now point left on the printed page instead of right. See why files count from the right.
Related questions
Is there one universal standard?
Red-at-the-bottom is the common default, not a rule enforced by any authority. Treat it as a strong convention.
Does this affect FEN strings?
No. FEN describes ranks from Black's side down to Red's by convention, independent of how any particular diagram is drawn.
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