Chinese checkers finishers. The rules are simple, so even young children can play. Despite its name, the game is not a variation of checkers, nor did it originate in China or any part of Asia (whereas the game 象棋 "xiangqi", or "Chinese chess", is from China). The game was invented in Germany in 1892 under the name "Stern-Halma" as a variation of the older American game Halma. The "Stern" (German for "star") refers to the board's star shape (in contrast to the square board used in Halma). The name "Chinese Checkers" originated in the United States as a marketing scheme by Bill
Chinese playing cards China. Cards based on Chinese chess appeared during the nineteenth century. They are generally divided into two categories, those with two suits known as Red or , and those with four suits known as Four Color Cards. Each suit contains cards named after the seven different chessmen. Some decks have multiple copies of each card and may also contain "gold" wild cards. Most games are rummy-like but the two-suited Tam cúc in Vietnam is a multi-trick game. Chinese playing cards Playing cards () were most likely invented in China during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). They were certainly in existence