--- title: Introduction to Abacus Mental Arithmetic and Chinese Go Enrichment Classes description: "Ever heard of abacus mental arithmetic and Chinese Go? Both are pivotal in Chinese culture: the former is a skill learned from a young age, and the latter, a game for all ages that sharpens logical thinking. This post will explore their roles in Chinese heritage!" image: https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/hubfs/%E7%AE%97%E7%9B%A4.png --- [![chinese new logo-1](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/hubfs/chinese%20new%20logo-1.jpg)](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-culture) - Culture and Lifestyle - [Chinese Culture](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-culture) - [Chinese Fun Facts](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-fun-facts?hsLang=en) - Chinese Proficiency Exams - [HSK](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/hsk-exam?hsLang=en) - TOCFL - [AP Chinese](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/ap-chinese-exam-preparation?hsLang=en) - Chinese Learning - [Learning Tips](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-learning-tips?hsLang=en) - [Chinese for Kids](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-for-kids?hsLang=en) - [Chinese for Business](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-for-business?hsLang=en) # Introduction to Abacus Mental Arithmetic and Chinese Go Enrichment Classes Ever heard of abacus mental arithmetic and Chinese Go? Both are pivotal in Chinese culture: the former is a skill learned from a young age, and the latter, a game for all ages that sharpens logical thinking. This post will explore their roles in Chinese heritage! [TutorABC Chinese](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-culture/author/tutorabcchinese) Apr 3, 2024 --- Many parents enroll their children in various extracurricular classes when they are young, commonly opting for music lessons or sports. However, did you know that in Chinese culture, many parents choose to send their children to learn abacus, mental arithmetic (心算 xīnsuàn) and Chinese Go (围棋 wéiqí)? It is said that these activities can enhance brain calculation speed, improve logical thinking, and foster concentration, among other benefits. But what exactly are mental arithmetic and Chinese Go? This blog will delve into these subjects, exploring whether these practices contribute to the outstanding performance of Chinese individuals in mathematics from an early age. ### **What is Abacus Mental Arithmetic?** Originating in China, Mental Arithmetic has a history spanning thousands of years. The abacus, an ancient calculating tool made initially from beads and strings, has evolved into the form we are familiar with today. Historically, the abacus was widely used not only in China but also in Japan, Korea, Russia, and other countries. Over time, people have not only learned to perform calculations on the abacus but also to mentally simulate the movement of its beads for quick calculations. This practice is known as Mental Arithmetic. The principle behind Mental Arithmetic involves visualizing an abacus in the mind and simulating bead movements to calculate. This training significantly enhances one's mathematical skills, especially in basic arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The benefits of learning Mental Arithmetic include improved rapid calculation skills, enhanced memory, and increased concentration. ![](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/GH40XzlrRQhEkZN9aYPXVVCe5GJJNdNhcLhYXSzjYNkIw_teLi-bK3VvTsx1KJpwSjqdJ53-1tAvu_ez5Ni1SMWPCh9FWao4ef7jInIMXlhOCmLxv_JrO3EIKxlOalrDOFdvVG-PTBpEHz-I4bkOb-o) ### **What is Chinese Go?** Originating in China over 4000 years ago, Go is a two-player game that uses a 19x19 grid board and black and white stones. The objective is to capture more territory by alternately placing the stones on the board. Once placed, stones cannot be moved, but they can capture the opponent's stones by surrounding them completely. The player with more territory and captured stones at the end wins. Learning Go can enhance strategic thinking, decision-making, patience, and concentration. ![](https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/Rx9xoulZ2pmkNRARqhc6qxEvO6u1TcI6Ubimxg4CdHf7ZqlW3-2P72D1lgQGDHZuFuBoc2k5vpBlz51aNZihDbnaxmLDjqLyfaY_78PQas_yy1aX4b34EqwGcMayeyLBURmse4pe-PeE8OHVPQhCG_k) ### **Why Do Chinese Value Mental Arithmetic and Chinese Go?** - **Cultural Heritage and Identity**: Mental Arithmetic and Chinese Go are integral parts of Chinese culture, symbolizing wisdom and strategic thinking. They are closely tied to Chinese identity and cultural pride as symbols of traditional culture. - **Educational Value**: In Chinese society, education is seen as a key to upward mobility. Mental Arithmetic and Chinese Go are believed to cultivate mathematical abilities, logical thinking, decision-making, and concentration, prompting parents to encourage their children to learn these skills. - **Cognitive Development**: Mental Arithmetic develops rapid calculation and memory skills, while Chinese Go trains strategic thinking and decision-making. These skills positively impact children's intellectual development and academic performance. - **Value Transmission**: These activities are not just intellectual exercises; they also convey moral and philosophical ideas. For example, the patience and respect for opponents encouraged by Chinese Go reflect the Confucian doctrine of moderation. ### Conclusion The cultivation of Mental Arithmetic and Chinese Go offers significant benefits for the field of mathematics, which requires not only swift and accurate calculation skills but also strong logical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Thus, it can be inferred that Chinese students might have a certain advantage in mathematics due to their early exposure to and learning of Mental Arithmetic and Chinese Go. This advantage is reflected not only in basic arithmetic operations but also in the strategic thinking and decision-making skills required to solve complex problems. While more people are learning Mental Arithmetic and Chinese Go today, with a greater emphasis on cultural transmission, these practices still hold immense cultural value in Chinese tradition, despite the growing trend toward learning programming languages among young learners. ### Chinese Vocabulary - **Mental Arithmetic = 心算 xīnsuàn** - **Abacus = 算盘 suànpán** - **Chinese Go = 围棋 wéiqí** - **Calculation = 计算 jìsuàn** - **Mathematics = 数学 shùxué**   Are you fascinated by Chinese culture or the Chinese language? [TutorABC Chinese](https://www.tutorabc.com/count.asp?code=MWad05oZy7) offers customized courses for those with various learning goals, employing patented AI technology and personal learning consultants to match you with certified professional teachers and materials suited to your objectives. Whether it's business Chinese or everyday conversational skills, learning is made easy! We believe in integrating the richness of Chinese culture with language learning to ensure each lesson is an exploration of language and cultural insights. If you have specific Chinese certification or exam goals, TutorABC Chinese also offers specialized courses for the HSK, TOCFL, and AP Chinese exams to help you succeed! Sign up for a [TRIAL](https://www.tutorabc.com/count.asp?code=MWad05oZy7) today! ## Similar posts ### [Lucky and Unlucky Chinese Numbers](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-culture/lucky-and-unlucky-chinese-numbers?hsLang=en) The Chinese are very superstitious about certain numbers, because of how similar they sound to other Chinese words. "Four" sounds like the Chinese... Judith Syau Oct 7, 2015 ### [Are Chinese Kids Really Better At Math?](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-culture/are-chinese-kids-really-better-at-math?hsLang=en) Are Chinese people naturally better at math? The answer may be in the Chinese language itself. Sara Lynn Hua Aug 4, 2016 ### [5 Foods You Need To Eat For Chinese New Year](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/chinese-culture/foods-to-eat-for-chinese-new-year?hsLang=en) Wonder what the Chinese eat for Chinese New Year? Here's a list of dishes that you need to chow down on this holiday for a lucky and prosperous new... Monica Chen Feb 4, 2016 ### Join our Chinese Learning Community! Explore the beauty of Chinese characters, and unravel the tapestry of traditions. Subscribe to receive exclusive insights, valuable resources, and regular updates that will accelerate your language learning adventure.   ![white chinese logo-2-1](https://blog.tutorabcchinese.com/hubfs/white%20chinese%20logo-2-1.png) ### Courses - [AI Matching Course](https://www.tutorabc.com/site/en-us/chinese-course/ai-chinese) - [HSK Exam Preparation](https://www.tutorabc.com/site/en-us/chinese-course/hsk) - [TOCFL Exam Preparation](https://www.tutorabc.com/site/en-us/chinese-course/tocfl) - [Free Demo](https://www.tutorabc.com/activity/en-us/FreeTrial) ### Company - [About Us](https://www.tutorabc.com/site/en-us/about-us) - [Privacy Policy](https://www.tutorabc.com/site/en-us/terms) - [Terms of Use](https://www.tutorabc.com/site/en-us/terms) © TutorABC All rights reserved [Privacy Policy](https://www.tutorabc.com/site/en-us/terms) [Powered by Atlas - a B2B SaaS HubSpot theme](https://www.kalungi.com/atlas-hubspot-theme-for-b2b-saas-software)