From October 30 to November 3, the 8th Latin American Go Congress, sponsored by the "Quzhou Lanke Cup" (衢州烂柯杯), was held in the Colombian port city of Cartagena. This year's congress brought together nearly 100 Go enthusiasts from 16 countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Venezuela, Uruguay, the United States, Canada, France, China, South Korea and Japan. Chinese professional players Zhang Nianqi (张念祺), 2 dan, and Wu Zitian (吴梓天), 3 dan, traveled to Colombia to take part in this year's congress. They gave special lectures, reviewed and explained games, and played multiple-board teaching games for the Go enthusiasts in attendance. The activities were warmly received by the participants, and the atmosphere on site was lively. As one of the largest Go gatherings in Latin America, this year's congress offered a rich program, including the 26th Latin American Go Championship, the 8th Pair Go Tournament and an Under-18 youth event, along with introductory Go lessons and other outreach activities. Zhang Nianqi (张念祺) and Wu Zitian (吴梓天) engaged in in-depth exchanges with Go enthusiasts from across Latin America, introducing China's youth training system, sharing their experiences of growing up as professional players, and discussing the impact of artificial intelligence on the game of Go. Since 2021, when the Chinese Weiqi Association signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Latin American Go Federation and its 13 member countries, the Chinese side has continued to work hand in hand with its partners to help Go take root and grow in Latin America. In the years since, the Chinese Weiqi Association, together with the Quzhou municipal government, has steadily deepened its long-term cooperation with the Latin American Go Federation, providing consistent and strong support for core events such as the Latin American Go Congress and the Latin American Go Tour. Go embodies the Eastern wisdom of "harmony in diversity," and this series of regular exchanges and cooperation has brought Chinese and Latin American Go players closer together, increased mutual understanding, strengthened the foundation of friendship at the grassroots level, and added vivid new content to cultural exchanges between China and Latin America.
