The 2025 "Yangming Cup & Polar Bear" China-Japan-Rok Weiqi Masters Invitational Tournament opened in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, on Oct 31, with a total of 16 top professional players from China, Japan, and South Korea set to compete in four rounds.

The Chinese team sent eight players, including Ding Hao and Wang Xinghao. The Japanese and Korean teams each sent four players, including notable players like Japan's Iyama Yuta and Korea's Park Junghwan. Adopting a rapid chess format, each player has a base time of one hour and 40 minutes, plus 30 seconds per move, with a loss declared upon time expiration.

Rooted in Yangming Philosophy and drawing on Guiyang's heritage as its birthplace, the event highlighted the contemporary vitality of China's traditional culture. Held on Oct 31 - the birthday of philosopher Wang Yangming - the occasion carried special meaning, promoting deeper integration between Weiqi and Yangming thought while exploring new ways to use culture to enrich the game.

In 1930, Guiyang established the Weiqi club "Yi Lou", and in 1939, it hosted the province's first Weiqi competition, indicating a strong grassroots foundation. In 2001, Guiyang set a Guinness World Record for a Weiqi tournament with 4,000 participants competing simultaneously.