A Guide to Three Classical Chinese Puzzles
The opening guide frames the archive as a study of shape, sequence, and search across three classical Chinese puzzle systems.
Source pages 1-24 / 6 min readRead guide
Eastern Puzzle ArchiveEditorial library
Read the source trail as finished, human-edited guides.
These pages turn source chapters into readable English explanations with source ranges, diagrams, key ideas, and links into playable puzzle experiences. They are written for enthusiasts, not copied from OCR output.
Overview
Start Here
The guide that connects the full source corpus into shape, sequence, and search.
Tangram
Tangram Library
Seven entries covering history, construction, mathematics, play, unusual uses, international reception, and solid Tangram.
A Short History of the Tangram
A careful history of Tangram origins, circulation, printed puzzle culture, and its later role in recreational mathematics.
Source pages 25-36 / 7 min readRead guideMaking a Tangram
A practical guide to Tangram construction that explains why the standard cuts matter for play and mathematics.
Source pages 37-41 / 5 min readRead guideTangram Mathematics
A source-backed path into dissection geometry, topology, graph thinking, and area-preserving transformations.
Source pages 42-96 / 10 min readRead guideTangram Games
A guide to Tangram as a playable activity: free construction, silhouette solving, challenge rules, and group formats.
Source pages 97-100 / 5 min readRead guideUnusual Uses of the Tangram
A survey of Tangram beyond pastime: demonstrations, teaching aids, design prompts, and visual reasoning tools.
Source pages 101-118 / 7 min readRead guideTangrams Outside China
A reception history of Tangram abroad and the broader family of dissection puzzles influenced by its spread.
Source pages 119-137 / 7 min readRead guideFrom Plane Tangram to Solid Tangram
A guide to three-dimensional Tangram ideas, spatial reasoning, and the shift from area-preserving figures to volume-aware construction.
Source pages 138-161 / 8 min readRead guideNine Linked Rings
Nine Linked Rings Library
A state-sequence reading path for the mechanical ring puzzle.
Nine Linked Rings as a Sequence System
A bridge from a traditional mechanical puzzle to binary-like state notation and recursive solving.
Source pages 162-193 / 9 min readRead guideHuarong Dao
Huarong Dao Library
A sliding-block reading path from story board to state-space search.
Huarong Dao and Sliding-Block Search
A source-backed guide to Huarong Dao as a Chinese sliding-block puzzle and a natural route into state-space exploration.
Source pages 205-289 / 11 min readRead guide