Although pool, or more specifically, billiards, has long been a popular street recreation sport in China, Snooker's popularity has relatively been slowed, but it has increased over the last few years in China.

Snooker's climb to the spotlight can partly be attributed to the rise of young Chinese snooker player Ding Junhui. Ding recently broke into the international snooker Top 10.

Since then, more and more young Chinese players are breaking onto the professional snooker circuit such as Liang Wenbo and Liu Chuang who both qualified for the last 32 of the World Snooker Championship 2008.

Liang even went as far as quarter-finals where he faced a snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan.

It is estimated that Snooker is played more 50 million Chinese people, and there are now over 300 Snooker clubs in Beijing alone.