---
title: "The Classic Xiangqi Manuals · Xiangqi Master"
description: "橘中秘 and 梅花譜 are the best-known opening classics; 夢入神機 and 適情雅趣 are the major historical endgame collections."
url: https://xiangqimaster.com/blog/what-are-the-classic-xiangqi-books
updated: 2026-09-22
source: Xiangqi Master (https://xiangqimaster.com)
license: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
---

# What are the classic xiangqi books?

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
>
> The best known are **橘中秘** (Secrets Within the Orange, Ming dynasty) and **梅花譜** (Plum Blossom Manual, Qing), both primarily about openings and middlegame play; and the endgame collections **夢入神機** and **適情雅趣**, which preserve composed positions still studied today.

## Why the endgame collections aged better

A composed endgame position is a self-contained problem: the material is stated, the solution is forced, and none of it depends on opening theory that has since moved on. Positions from these collections are still set as puzzles, which is not true of most of the opening analysis.

## Reading them today

Modern editions exist with contemporary notation. The vocabulary needed is small — seven pieces, three directions, ten numerals — but the commentary is classical Chinese, so a modern annotated edition is worth the money over a facsimile.

## Related questions

Are there English translations?

Partial and scattered. Most of the literature remains untranslated.

Should a beginner read them?

Not yet. Tactics and basic mates come first; the classics reward players who already have a foundation.

## Related xiangqi resources

History of xiangqi

When the game was invented, and what is actually documented

Reading notation

炮二平五 and C2=5 — the same move, two ways

Xiangqi endgames

What beats what, and why

## Try it on a real board

Reading an answer is one thing; playing it is another. Free, instant, and nothing to install.