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Did you know mahjong started with cards? Or that chess began in India as a war game? A new exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) looks at the origins of some familiar games across Asia – and you can even have fun exploring these at a "playable" exhibition.
Let’s Play! The Art And Design Of Asian Games opens on Sep 5 and features more than 150 works ranging from historical artefacts to newly commissioned pieces by contemporary designers. Other games featured include chess, chaupar, weiqi, xiangqi, shogi and carrom.
Aside from looking at their history, the show also shows how they've been reinvented for modern audiences. There are also communal play spaces where visitors can enjoy classic board games and locally designed titles, alongside digital interactives.
There are stations throughout the exhibition where visitors can play different games. (Photo: Asian Civilisations Museum)
A modern take on Congkak invites visitors to join in the play. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
ACM worked with local schools and communities such as the Singapore Xiangqi General Association (SIXGA) and the Singapore Weiqi Association to bring its playable elements to life.
“We’re deeply grateful to the schools, community partners, and local game organisations whose support brings the exhibition’s playable elements and sense of community to life. We hope that Let’s Play! fosters cultural exchanges in the region, and shows how games with long, rich histories remain alive and meaningful today," said Clement Onn, director of ACM and Peranakan Museum.
Ban-sugoroku, a Japanese version of the Chinese game shuanglu (“double sixes”), was once popular among aristocrats but declined by the 19th century, later supplanted by backgammon. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Mongolian chess (shatar), introduced in the 13th century, adapted international chess with local symbols: The queen as a tiger, bishop as a camel, and rook as a cart. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
The exhibition has five themed areas, showing how the games were created before travelling across regions and evolving over time.
A 19th-century Mughal chess set. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
According to the Shahnama (Book of Kings), chess entered Persia in the 6th century as a riddle from India. Adopted across the Islamic world as shatranj, the game took on an abstract look, shaped by aniconic traditions. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Chess, for example, began in India as chaturanga, a war game named after the army’s four divisions – infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots – which evolved into the pawn, knight, bishop and rook.
By the 7th century it had spread to Persia, where terms like shah (king) and shah mat (“the king is helpless”) gave us “check” and “checkmate.” From there, the game travelled widely, adapting to each culture. Major changes in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries produced modern chess, while variants such as xiangqi, shogi and ouk chatrang developed across Asia.
Miniature xiangqi set carved from jade, China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911). (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Tozan Shogifu, a woodblock-printed manual by Kusaka Teikan (1796), introduced Chinese chess (xiangqi) to Japan. The notation adapts shogi (Japanese chess) conventions, placing pieces in squares rather than on intersections as in typical xiangqi play. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
In the Qing court, weiqi (“big chess”) was elevated to imperial status, with emperors commissioning luxurious sets to reflect the court's taste for luxurious materials and superb craftsmanship. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Meanwhile, weiqi and xiangqi were once regarded as tools for cultivating patience and foresight – virtues prized by rulers and scholars. Today, they are recognised as “mind sports,” supported locally by associations such as the Singapore Chess Federation.
Gyan Chaupar (“game of knowledge”), created by Jain communities in western India, is the original form of Snakes and Ladders. Each square represents a moral or spiritual state, with ladders lifting players through virtues and snakes dragging them down through vices. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Gyan Chaupar (“game of knowledge”), created by Jain communities in western India, is the original form of Snakes and Ladders. Each square represents a moral or spiritual state, with ladders lifting players through virtues and snakes dragging them down through vices. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
The exhibition also reveals how games often carried moral or spiritual lessons. Gyan chaupar, created in India by Jain communities, was the original Snakes And Ladders. Its ladders represented virtues such as truth and generosity, while snakes stood for vices like pride and anger – turning a simple race game into a lesson on life.
The boat form is the most widespread type of congkak board, reflecting the maritime character of island Southeast Asia. Carved from a single piece of wood, these boards often have flat bottoms or raised bases that echo the shape of vessels. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
These two bird-shaped congkak boards by Abdul Rahman bin Yusoff of Kelantan, Malaysia, were conceived as a mythical bird family to honour Kelantanese heritage. Guardian birds once featured in elaborate royal processions during circumcision ceremonies for princes in early 20th-century Kelantan. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Another example is congkak, where players move seeds, stones or shells across carved rows of holes to capture the most pieces. Beyond being a pastime, it symbolised life’s passage: The act of “sowing” counters was seen as a metaphor for time and cycles of existence. In some traditions, variants of the game were tied to rituals – in eastern Indonesia, it is played at funerary vigils to guide the souls of the dead, echoing practices in the Maldives and Madagascar.
Mahjong originated in southern China in the 19th century, having evolved from an older card game known as madiao. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
There are also games that adapted to new cultural contexts, such as mahjong – a familiar favourite in Singapore. Developed in 19th-century southern China from the card game madiao, it quickly became a fixture of urban social life, played in teahouses, brothels and nightclubs.
By the early 20th century, the game had spread internationally and evolved in new ways. In the 1920s, the craze in the United States was so intense that animal bones – used to make the tiles – were shipped from America to workshops in Shanghai to meet demand.
A recreation of the official match arena, FIDE World Chess Championship in 2024. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Signed by Gukesh Dommaraju and Ding Liren. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
These days, games have become much more complex. Artificial intelligence has turned them testbeds for human–machine interaction, from AlphaGo’s 2016 victory over South Korean champion Lee Sedol (who appeared in the second season of the Netflix reality show The Devil's Plan) to the use of SenseRobots in elite chess and Go training today.
Games have also evolved into professionalised competitions, with Singapore hosting milestones such as the 1st ING Cup finals in the 1980s
Challenge a robot to a game of chess of Go. (Photo: Asian Civilisations Museum)
Challenge a robot to a game of chess of Go. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
The exhibition also extends into the digital sphere with ACMverse, where visitors can download the Roblox app on their mobile phones and complete missions to unlock exclusive rewards when they play on-site.
Visitors can borrow boardgames and play on-site at the Let's Play More! communal area. (Photo: Asian Civilisations Museum)
Giant board games. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Still want to play? There's another section where visitors can try life-size versions of classic games such as checkers and aeroplane chess. A Play Kiosk also features board games you can borrow and play, ranging from familiar titles like Connect Four, The Resistance and Monopoly, to locally designed favourites including Singaporean Dream and Hawker Wars. Another interactive zone lets visitors design their own game token and watch it come alive on a digital board.
A reimagined Snakes and Ladder. (Photo: Asian Civilisations Museum)
Climbs & Slides by Forest & Whale reimagines the Snakes and Ladders board as a three-dimensional installation, inviting reflection on the ups and downs of life. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Artists have also contributed game-themed installation. Climbs & Slides by Singapore studio Forest & Whale reimagines Snakes And Ladders, while Checkmates! by artists Vendy Methodos and Osheen Siva, transforms the Singapore River promenade into a chessboard with oversized pieces.
Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games runs at ACM from Sep 5 to Jun 7, 2026. Tickets are priced at S$12 for Singaporeans and permanent residents, and S$25 for foreign residents and tourists. The exhibition is also eligible for SG Culture Pass credits.
Source: CNA/jk
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FAST
Did you know mahjong started with cards? Or that chess began in India as a war game? A new exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM) looks at the origins of some familiar games across Asia – and you can even have fun exploring these at a "playable" exhibition.
Let’s Play! The Art And Design Of Asian Games opens on Sep 5 and features more than 150 works ranging from historical artefacts to newly commissioned pieces by contemporary designers. Other games featured include chess, chaupar, weiqi, xiangqi, shogi and carrom.
Aside from looking at their history, the show also shows how they've been reinvented for modern audiences. There are also communal play spaces where visitors can enjoy classic board games and locally designed titles, alongside digital interactives.
There are stations throughout the exhibition where visitors can play different games. (Photo: Asian Civilisations Museum)
A modern take on Congkak invites visitors to join in the play. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
ACM worked with local schools and communities such as the Singapore Xiangqi General Association (SIXGA) and the Singapore Weiqi Association to bring its playable elements to life.
“We’re deeply grateful to the schools, community partners, and local game organisations whose support brings the exhibition’s playable elements and sense of community to life. We hope that Let’s Play! fosters cultural exchanges in the region, and shows how games with long, rich histories remain alive and meaningful today," said Clement Onn, director of ACM and Peranakan Museum.
Ban-sugoroku, a Japanese version of the Chinese game shuanglu (“double sixes”), was once popular among aristocrats but declined by the 19th century, later supplanted by backgammon. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Mongolian chess (shatar), introduced in the 13th century, adapted international chess with local symbols: The queen as a tiger, bishop as a camel, and rook as a cart. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
PLAY ACROSS CULTURES
The exhibition has five themed areas, showing how the games were created before travelling across regions and evolving over time.
A 19th-century Mughal chess set. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
According to the Shahnama (Book of Kings), chess entered Persia in the 6th century as a riddle from India. Adopted across the Islamic world as shatranj, the game took on an abstract look, shaped by aniconic traditions. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Chess, for example, began in India as chaturanga, a war game named after the army’s four divisions – infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots – which evolved into the pawn, knight, bishop and rook.
By the 7th century it had spread to Persia, where terms like shah (king) and shah mat (“the king is helpless”) gave us “check” and “checkmate.” From there, the game travelled widely, adapting to each culture. Major changes in Europe during the 15th and 16th centuries produced modern chess, while variants such as xiangqi, shogi and ouk chatrang developed across Asia.
Miniature xiangqi set carved from jade, China, Qing dynasty (1644–1911). (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Tozan Shogifu, a woodblock-printed manual by Kusaka Teikan (1796), introduced Chinese chess (xiangqi) to Japan. The notation adapts shogi (Japanese chess) conventions, placing pieces in squares rather than on intersections as in typical xiangqi play. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
In the Qing court, weiqi (“big chess”) was elevated to imperial status, with emperors commissioning luxurious sets to reflect the court's taste for luxurious materials and superb craftsmanship. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Meanwhile, weiqi and xiangqi were once regarded as tools for cultivating patience and foresight – virtues prized by rulers and scholars. Today, they are recognised as “mind sports,” supported locally by associations such as the Singapore Chess Federation.
Gyan Chaupar (“game of knowledge”), created by Jain communities in western India, is the original form of Snakes and Ladders. Each square represents a moral or spiritual state, with ladders lifting players through virtues and snakes dragging them down through vices. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Gyan Chaupar (“game of knowledge”), created by Jain communities in western India, is the original form of Snakes and Ladders. Each square represents a moral or spiritual state, with ladders lifting players through virtues and snakes dragging them down through vices. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
The exhibition also reveals how games often carried moral or spiritual lessons. Gyan chaupar, created in India by Jain communities, was the original Snakes And Ladders. Its ladders represented virtues such as truth and generosity, while snakes stood for vices like pride and anger – turning a simple race game into a lesson on life.
The boat form is the most widespread type of congkak board, reflecting the maritime character of island Southeast Asia. Carved from a single piece of wood, these boards often have flat bottoms or raised bases that echo the shape of vessels. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
These two bird-shaped congkak boards by Abdul Rahman bin Yusoff of Kelantan, Malaysia, were conceived as a mythical bird family to honour Kelantanese heritage. Guardian birds once featured in elaborate royal processions during circumcision ceremonies for princes in early 20th-century Kelantan. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Another example is congkak, where players move seeds, stones or shells across carved rows of holes to capture the most pieces. Beyond being a pastime, it symbolised life’s passage: The act of “sowing” counters was seen as a metaphor for time and cycles of existence. In some traditions, variants of the game were tied to rituals – in eastern Indonesia, it is played at funerary vigils to guide the souls of the dead, echoing practices in the Maldives and Madagascar.
Mahjong originated in southern China in the 19th century, having evolved from an older card game known as madiao. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
There are also games that adapted to new cultural contexts, such as mahjong – a familiar favourite in Singapore. Developed in 19th-century southern China from the card game madiao, it quickly became a fixture of urban social life, played in teahouses, brothels and nightclubs.
By the early 20th century, the game had spread internationally and evolved in new ways. In the 1920s, the craze in the United States was so intense that animal bones – used to make the tiles – were shipped from America to workshops in Shanghai to meet demand.
A recreation of the official match arena, FIDE World Chess Championship in 2024. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Signed by Gukesh Dommaraju and Ding Liren. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
GAMES IN THE MODERN WORLD
These days, games have become much more complex. Artificial intelligence has turned them testbeds for human–machine interaction, from AlphaGo’s 2016 victory over South Korean champion Lee Sedol (who appeared in the second season of the Netflix reality show The Devil's Plan) to the use of SenseRobots in elite chess and Go training today.
Games have also evolved into professionalised competitions, with Singapore hosting milestones such as the 1st ING Cup finals in the 1980s
Challenge a robot to a game of chess of Go. (Photo: Asian Civilisations Museum)
Challenge a robot to a game of chess of Go. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
The exhibition also extends into the digital sphere with ACMverse, where visitors can download the Roblox app on their mobile phones and complete missions to unlock exclusive rewards when they play on-site.
Visitors can borrow boardgames and play on-site at the Let's Play More! communal area. (Photo: Asian Civilisations Museum)
Giant board games. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
COMMUNAL PLAY AREA
Still want to play? There's another section where visitors can try life-size versions of classic games such as checkers and aeroplane chess. A Play Kiosk also features board games you can borrow and play, ranging from familiar titles like Connect Four, The Resistance and Monopoly, to locally designed favourites including Singaporean Dream and Hawker Wars. Another interactive zone lets visitors design their own game token and watch it come alive on a digital board.
A reimagined Snakes and Ladder. (Photo: Asian Civilisations Museum)
Climbs & Slides by Forest & Whale reimagines the Snakes and Ladders board as a three-dimensional installation, inviting reflection on the ups and downs of life. (Photo: CNA/Joyee Koo)
Artists have also contributed game-themed installation. Climbs & Slides by Singapore studio Forest & Whale reimagines Snakes And Ladders, while Checkmates! by artists Vendy Methodos and Osheen Siva, transforms the Singapore River promenade into a chessboard with oversized pieces.
Let’s Play! The Art and Design of Asian Games runs at ACM from Sep 5 to Jun 7, 2026. Tickets are priced at S$12 for Singaporeans and permanent residents, and S$25 for foreign residents and tourists. The exhibition is also eligible for SG Culture Pass credits.
Source: CNA/jk
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