Pairs of card players compete against each other in games of Guandan at an organized competition Saturday at a mall in Zhengzhou, Henan province. Photo: VCG

A player checks his cards at Saturday’s competition. Photo: VCG

Guandan players compete on Jan. 20 at a competition in Xi’an, Northwest China’s Shaanxi province. The number of players of the resurgent card game reached an estimated 140 million in 2023. Photo: VCG

Ten thousand players gather on June 18 for a Guandan competition at Xuyi County Stadium in Huaian, East China’s Jiangsu province. Photo: VCG

A man takes a course on how to play Guandan on Feb. 24 in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan province. The game has even become a fad among traders and investors, who like to play while they talk business. Photo: VCG

A group of seniors plays a game of Guandan on May 3 at a park in Huaian, Jiangsu. Photo: VCG

Guandan players compete on Aug. 6 at the Hubei National Invitational in Xiangyang, Central China’s Hubei province. Photo: VCG

A factory in Wuyi, Zhejiang province, has its card production machinery on full blast on Friday. Photo: VCG