Go players headed to Rugao's Olympic Sports Center in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province on Feb 11, with nearly 300 players hoping to demonstrate their skills at the 7th Mengbaihe go (weiqi) open tournament.

Hosted by the city's sports bureau, the three-day tournament included 10 rounds of competition and offered rewards totaling 118,800 yuan ($17,568), with 50,000 yuan awarded to the champion.

Hua Xueming, vice-chairwoman of the Chinese Weiqi Association, attended the opening ceremony and revealed details of a larger go event that Rugao plans to host in May.

In recent years, the city has hosted a number of go tournaments, with more and more young people taking part in the game.

Rugao's players are known for their performance at local and national competitions all across the country, according to Wang Yuliang, director of the city’s weiqi association.

Competitors take part in a weiqi open tournament at the Olympic Sports Center in Rugao, Nantong, Jiangsu province, Feb 11. [Photo/Rugao Daily]

Players pictured during the competition in Rugao on Feb 11 [Photo/Rugao Daily]