{"id":9483,"date":"2023-10-29T13:45:11","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T12:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/?p=9483"},"modified":"2023-10-29T13:45:11","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T12:45:11","slug":"did-ga-initially-go-to-the-mississippi-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/did-ga-initially-go-to-the-mississippi-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Did Ga Initially Go To The Mississippi River"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Background<\/h2>\n

The Mississippi River is one of the largest rivers in the United States. Its origin lies in northern Minnesota, where it snakes its way south, feeding several major agricultural areas before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico. One of the questions that arises when discussing the river is whether or not it is the site of the original incarnation of the game of Go, or ga. <\/p>\n

Go is an ancient East Asian game, believed to have been created in 2nd century China, originally designed as an educational tool to teach Chinese philosophy and history. The game is played on a 19×19 gridded board, divided into squares, and the object of the game is to control more territory on the board. It is considered one of the oldest board games in the world, and its origins have been studied by many scholars and enthusiasts. <\/p>\n

Experts Perspectives<\/h2>\n

Go expert and historian Dr. John Wu, author of The Art of Go, appeared recently on a national news show to discuss the relationship between the Mississippi River and the game of Go. In his opinion, the Mississippi does not appear to play a significant role in the game’s origins. <\/p>\n

He explained that the game likely made its way to Europe from China via trade with India. He believes it is unlikely that the game ever went to the Mississippi River, especially since the game was already established in Europe before the arrival of Europeans in the North American continent.<\/p>\n