On 11th November, at a teahouse in Lhasa’s Barkhor community, Jiren players are having a duel. As they take advantage of the warm winter sun, you can see lots of people playing “Tibetan billiards” in many of the teahouses in Tibet.

According to historical records, Tibet’s Jiren sport has a history of more than 300 years. Because of the enjoyment it brings, the high level of skill and the fact that it’s easy to learn and suitable for all ages, it is very popular among most Tibetan people.

Today, Jiren has already been included as an event at the China National Games of Minorities. The rules for Jiren are similar to that of snooker.

A Jiren table is shaped like a chessboard: long, about one meter wide, with a wooden slat on each of the four sides and a hole in each corner. The cue ball is called “Anze” and the pink balls are divided into black and white, with nine of each. In addition, there is also the “Duomabu” (red stone or red ball), which can only be hit once you have sunk more than one pink ball.

You must also pay attention to the places where you place the balls in Jiren. Firstly, six white pink balls are placed in the middle of the table using a herringbone, then the nine black pink balls are placed closely next to the white pink balls creating a triangle, followed by the remaining three white pink balls being placed next the black pink balls.