Xiangqi

Xiangqi (Chinese: 象棋; Pinyin: xiàngqí;), is a two-player Chinese game in a family of strategic board games of which Western chess, Indian chaturanga, Japanese shogi, and the more similar Korean janggi are also members. Xiangqi is native to China and is therefore commonly called Chinese chess. The first character 象 xiàng here has the meaning "image" or "representational", hence Xiangqi can be literally translated as "representational chess". The second character, 棋, is a general term also used in the name 西洋棋 xīyáng qì — "Western chess".

Chinese chess has a long history. Though its precise origins have not yet been definitely confirmed, the earliest indications reveal the game was played as early as the 4th century BC in China. (see History below).

Xiangqi is one of the most popular board games in the world. Distinctive features of Xiangqi include the unique movement of the pao ("cannon") piece, a rule prohibiting the generals (similar to chess kings) from facing each other directly, and the river and palace board features, which restrict the movement of some pieces.

See the complete Wikipedia article :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiangqi