Going offline to play mahjong is the new cool. The ancient game, developed in Southern China during the Qing dynasty in the mid-1800s, is witnessing a resurgence.
Once rooted in tradition, it has now spread far beyond China, with youth in the United States (US) flocking to pop-up mahjong parties. The craze has even inspired record-breaking marathons. According to Guinness World Records, "The longest marathon playing Mahjong is 33 hr 3 min 48.58 sec and was achieved by Oleg Petrov, Anton Khantimirov, Mark Efremov and Nickolay Demyanov (all Russia) in the exhibition centre 'Sibir' in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, on 14-16 December 2012." Though the exact origins of mahjong are not known, the tile game is said to be derived from a game played in Imperial China called madiao, which is an imperial Chinese trick-taking gambling card game. In Southern Chinese dialects, the word "mahjong" means "sparrow". When the tiles are reshuffled, they make a bird-like clacking sound, giving the game its name. Xu Ke (1869–1928), a Chinese writer who wrote an unofficial history of the Qing dynasty, also traced mahjong to mid-19th-century southern China, during the Taiping Rebellion (Xu [1917] 1984–1986).
Mahjong Basics
Mahjong is a four-player game. It is like poker or gin rummy, and operates on the interplay between chance and skill. "Chinese icons are visible in tiles 'suits,' which include bamboos and circles, which represent ancient Chinese currency; arrows or 'dragons,' which symbolise the ancient art of archery; and flowers, which represent the four Confucian plants, including chrysanthemum and orchid," writes Claire Wang in an article titled Why mahjong is a global phenomenon, published in National Geographic.It uses 144 tiles, and two dice, and one must remember that there are regional differences in its rules. Just like poker, the objective in mahjong is to create matching sets and pairs. A set consists of three or four identical tiles or three consecutive tiles, while a pair is two identical tiles. To win, a player must assemble four sets and one pair.
The Mahjong Set
According to the website Master Chinese, "There are a total of 144 tiles, including suits of Circles, Bamboo, Characters. These three suits contain four sets of tiles numbered one to nine."The Mahjong set also includes Honour tiles, which comprise Winds and Dragons, as well as Flower tiles, consisting of eight bonus tiles showcasing four flowers and four seasons.
Mahjong as a Global Phenomenon
American businessman Joseph P. Babcock in the early 1920s brought mahjong to the US. "Dubbed 'the game of a hundred intelligences' and 'the gift of heaven,' the first imported mahjong sets quickly sold out at Abercrombie & Fitch in New York City," writes Claire. Mahjong found its patron in the affluent, upper class ladies.Annelise Heinz, author of the bestselling Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture, was quoted by National Geographic. She said, "Mahjong was particularly popular among 'wealthy society matrons' who were attracted to the 'feminine exoticism' of dressing up in Chinese costumes and using Chinese words during play." She also said that "it’s ironic that such an 'explicitly Chinese game' exploded in popularity during a period of intense anti-immigrant sentiment that resulted in escalating restrictions against people of Asian descent."
During World War II, mahjong was frequently referred to as 'the new yellow peril'. The phrase carried racial overtones, reflecting how a beloved Chinese game was framed through xenophobic stereotypes even as it grew in popularity.
Mahjong Mania
The community-building aspect of mahjong is bringing youngsters to come and play. According to Terry Chea for AP, "There’s been a 179% increase in mahjong events in the U.S. from 2023 to 2024, according to Eventbrite, a popular ticketing app. The event platform says Gen Z is also showing a growing interest in other 'grannycore' activities such as baking workshops and needlework circles that happen offline."Bay Area, California is a hot spot for clubs hosting mahjong nights. For instance, Youth Luck Leisure (YLL) Mahjong Club hosts Mahjong Nights. A quick glance through its Instagram page shows a packed club, with youngsters seated around the table and playing mahjong. The default play is Hong Kong gameplay for most of their sessions, but players are allowed to choose the version they want. Some of the other traditional variations are Chinese Classical, Taiwanese Mahjong, Japanese Riichi Mahjong, Korean Mahjong among others.
