Testimonials and Reflections

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to China for a summer program at Tsinghua University. I had never been to China before and didn’t quite know what to expect. I was particularly looking forward to playing Go with Chinese locals. I first learnt about Go at my university library thanks to Silva at Insitute361. After attending a number of sessions, I began to develop a stronger understanding of the strategy and patterns of play. This proved very useful throughout my time in China.

The first week of my trip was with a Chinese family and they were initially very surprised I could play. Almost the whole family played Go, and despite my amateur skill level I was still able to impress them with my ability to play Go. I liked playing Go with Chinese locals as it was a particularly fun and useful way to bridge any cultural and language gaps whilst building stronger friendships.
The more I play Go the more intrigued I become with the strategy and its parallels with many aspects of life. For me the strategy is contagious and almost addictive, as you seemingly can never learn it all. I feel this is the best part of Go, you can learn from every game because each opponent plays with a different style. I am so glad that I knew how to play Go because it added to my experience in China and enabled me to further engage with Chinese people and culture on a much deeper level. Go is also a truly fun way to practice your critical thinking skills and I’m extremely grateful that to have learnt how to enjoy this wonderful strategic game. Thanks Silvia!

(Rex)