In a park in Chiayi, two men were playing a game of Chinese chess called Xiangqi

Walking through Chiayi, I came upon a small park. The park was covered with grass, but it was very quiet and there were few people relaxing. It seemed that the greenery was not a place for the locals to relax.

In a corner of the park, two men were sitting on a bench facing each other. They were bent over each other in a slightly unnatural position, so I approached them and found a board between them. They were playing a game of Chinese chess called Xiangqi.

One of the men had brought a large plastic bottle of water with him, so I guessed he was planning to linger here. I looked at the board and saw that the number of pieces was dwindling. The game seemed to be reaching its climax.

Despite the tranquil atmosphere of the park, the faces of the two players were serious. Not only were they obsessed with the game, but their expressions made me wonder if there was money involved.