HARBIN, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Prisons around the world house inmates from various walks of life with different skill sets. But Hulan prison in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province is unique, with more than 400 go "masters" serving time.
Hulan, a heavily fortified jail in the provincial capital of Harbin, is for serious criminal offenders. But it is more famous for its "fire phoenix go society" established in 2013.
"Like the phoenix rising from the flames, we hope prisoners can cleanse their spirit through the traditional go culture and draw strength from the philosophy of the game," said Song Dianyi, a manager of the prison.
Jiang Zhanchen has been sentenced to 19 years for illegal business operations and fraud. He soon became obsessed with go during his time in prison.
"There is a saying in go, which is 'if you're greedy, you won't win'. I was too greedy when I was younger and got lost, and failed the game of life," he said.
Just as situations keep changing on the go board, so too do they change in life. Jiang said he still has a shot at being released when he is 50. Besides playing go and exercising, he is actively preparing for a university degree exam in Chinese language and literature.
In a prison cell that has been transformed into an activity room, books and magazines about go fill a 6-meter-long shelf against the wall. On top of them is a notebook full of prisoners' thoughts and reflections.
After learning the game, Qin Zhen, who used to be one of the most difficult prisoners in Hulan, for the first time, wrote a letter to his parents. In the letter, he recalled his life experience and expressed deep regret for what he had done.
"I made terrible mistakes in the first 26 years of life. I must make changes from now on," he said.
In August 2015, China's go master Nie Weiping, after reading about the story, came to Hulan, where he played go with 16 prisoners simultaneously while giving them tips. Since then, Nie has revisited the jail twice.
Inspired to learn the game, more and more prisoners have joined the society. The number of go learners has surged to over 400.
The prison holds a go competition every year. In May 2016, more than 100 prisoners participated in a graded competition under the guidance of the provincial go association. Nearly 90 of them were awarded grades based on their performances.
Zhu Shuguo, the society head also serving time, said the number of go learners who break rules or talk dirty is going down, while more prisoners in the society are starting to read and talk about the meaning of life.
The prison has therefore integrated go learning with prisoners' rehabilitation by formulating regulations for the society, strengthening its entry and elimination mechanism.
Nie said go culture embodies the wisdom of the Chinese nation, and can shape and help people, especially those who are disoriented.
"If I break some of the prison rules, I will lose the opportunity to meet Nie, which would be really embarrassing for me," said prisoner Xuanyuan Shizheng.
