The game originated in Huaian in the 1960s and giving it an official English name could help it to become just as popular in other countries, according to Qiu.
In an interview with Guangdong-based media outlet Southern Metropolis on Friday, Qiu said guandan could become a cherished international intellectual sport, based on how popular it is in China.
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The South China Morning Post spoke to eight contacts from a range of government bodies and state-owned enterprises, who all said guandan has taken public sectors across the country by storm since it was embraced by bureaucrats in Beijing.
Junior and senior party officials alike in the capital love to play guandan at after-work gatherings and its popularity has spread to government agencies, state-owned enterprises, the military and academia, said the sources, who asked not to be named.
The game “has become an essential social skill within the Communist Party system”, partly because of its popularity “above”. “If high-level leaders show preference to something, those below will inevitably pursue it even more,” one contact said.
An official contact, who declined to be named because of the matter’s potential sensitivity, told the Post that “many senior leaders know guandan and love to play it”.
Another official contact said it requires good teamwork to play the game well, making it a good way to forge trust.
The game is designed to enhance communication among colleagues and could also serve as a preclude to conversations before talking with senior leaders or colleagues about more important work-related subjects, he said.
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Contacts from state-owned enterprises said that new employees are eager to learn how to play guandan to socialise with their colleagues and forge bonds with their supervisors faster.
Four players, two full decks including jokers, and a square table are the only requirements. The players form pairs which compete against each other to get all the cards out before their opponents, using some of the same terminology as poker.
Each player starts with 27 cards, with red jokers highest. Apart from straight flushes and a full house, guandan also features bombs – with four jokers in a trick making the best bomb.
Losers have to give their best card in “tribute” to the winners in the next round, while the winning players can select a card to “return the tribute”.
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The game’s popularity has coincided with the start of a second decade of President Xi Jinping’s signature anti-corruption drive, which has increased the risks for party officials of being targeted for “lifestyle” issues – such as golf and fancy meals.
But guandan is an intellectual game that is easy to learn and is not designed for gambling. The game appears to be regarded as a safe and correct way for party cadres to entertain and relax.
Guandan also earned a nod from the country’s top sports administrator which organised the first nationwide guandan tournament last year. The final round, featuring more than 80 players from 11 cities, ended in January.
Source: scmp.com
