The Global Intelligence Culture Forum was held recently in Kuala Lumpur, alongside the English-language launch of The Essence of GuanDan book by Prof Yu Mingyang, reflecting the game’s rapid expansion from China into international communities.
Organised by the Malaysia GuanDan Club, the forum gathered over 130 mind sports enthusiasts, business delegates and cultural researchers from Malaysia, China, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Canada.
The event served as a platform to explore the growing cultural, social and communication value of mind sports in today’s society, with a special focus on GuanDan, a strategic card-based game.
Malaysian member of parliament Howard Lee Chuan How, alongside representatives from the international mind sports and cultural community were also present at the event.
Originating in Huai’an, Jiangsu Province, China, GuanDan is a strategic card-based mind sport that combines teamwork, memory, and tactical thinking. In recent years, the game has rapidly gained popularity across China and is increasingly recognised as a social activity that encourages interpersonal interaction and cultural exchange.
The English edition of “The Essence of GuanDan”, or Guandan Xin Fa in Chinese, is written by Yu Mingyang, an economics professor at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. The book offers international readers a comprehensive introduction to GuanDan culture, gameplay strategies and the Eastern philosophies behind the game.
Through the English edition, the publication aims to help global audiences better understand Chinese intellectual culture while promoting GuanDan as a classic Eastern mind sport alongside internationally recognised games such as bridge and chess.
Malaysia GuanDan Club president Cher Kok Sang said that GuanDan has evolved far beyond just a game, serving as a valuable tool for social connection and intellectual exchange.
“In an increasingly digital world, GuanDan encourages people to reconnect through face-to-face interaction. It creates opportunities for meaningful communication, teamwork and social bonding through gameplay,” he said.
He added that Malaysia’s multicultural landscape makes the country an ideal environment for intellectual and cultural exchange through mind sports, allowing people from different backgrounds to connect through shared interests.
Speaking during the forum, Prof Yu Mingyang expressed hope that GuanDan could evolve beyond entertainment and become part of the broader international mind sports ecosystem.
“Chinese culture carries rich wisdom and strong values of human connection. GuanDan offers an accessible and engaging way for international audiences to experience and better understand Chinese culture,” he said.
Prof Yu also noted that, unlike many forms of online entertainment today, GuanDan places strong emphasis on real-time communication, teamwork and physical social interaction, making it increasingly relevant in modern society.
Published by Canada’s Royal Collins Publishing Group, the English edition of The Essence of GuanDan has previously been launched in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Singapore, Japan and South Korea. Kuala Lumpur now marks an important Southeast Asian stop in its international launch journey.
As part of the promotional campaign, a large-scale LED billboard was also displayed within Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle commercial district, drawing attention from both locals and international visitors.
In addition, the English edition of The Essence of GuanDan has also been officially archived by internationally recognised academic institutions, including the Harvard University Library and Yale University Library.
The organisers shared that they plan to continue promoting intellectual and cultural exchange initiatives through mind sports, with the aim of encouraging healthier social interaction, communication and cross-cultural engagement within the community.
