Why does xiangqi have two of most pieces but only one general?
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
Because the army is built symmetrically around a single target. Two advisors, two elephants, two horses, two chariots and two cannons sit in mirrored pairs, left and right, defending or attacking evenly on both sides of the palace. The general is deliberately singular: it is the one piece the whole rest of the army exists to protect or to hunt.
What the pairing buys you
Symmetric pairs mean a defence or an attack rarely depends on a single piece surviving. Lose one elephant and the other, on the far side, still covers its own set of points, though the defence is weaker for it, a fact worth weighing whenever a trade near the palace is on offer.
Why the general could not be doubled
The whole structure of the game, checkmate, the flying general rule, the palace confinement, depends on there being exactly one target per side. Two generals would remove the single clear objective that makes xiangqi's attacks so countable and concrete.
Related questions
Why are there five soldiers rather than an even number?
They cover the five odd-numbered files with gaps between them; see how the soldier moves for the reasoning.
Does losing one of a pair always matter equally?
No. Losing an advisor or elephant nearer the attack usually matters more than losing its mirror on the quiet side.
.