What is Mahjong? How do you play mahjong?

Mahjong, known as a national treasure in China, is an ancient game that is an essential part of Chinese culture.

The exact origins of Mahjong are unclear, and the specific time period is not well-documented. However, there are several common theories about its beginnings.

• Origins of Mahjong
  • 1. Invention by Zheng He
  • 2. Invention by Wan Bingtiao
  • 3. Grain Protection Plaque
• The Development History of Mahjong
  • Dice
  • Leaf Cards and Madiao
  • Modern Mahjong
  • Overseas
• Finally
• FAQ

1. Invention by Zheng He

When Zheng He took his ships west in the Ming Dynasty, the crew found themselves with little to do on their long trip.

The sailors turned to dice games to fight off boredom and feelings of being alone during their time at sea.

As the days went by, the crew got bored of dice. They then used the ship’s plentiful bamboo to make a new game, which turned into the first version of Mahjong.

People say a general named ‘Ma’ was on the ship. He was so good at this game that no one could beat him. This led to the game getting the name “麻大將軍牌,” which means “General Ma’s Cards.”

Over time, this became what we call Mahjong today. As years passed, people made the rules simpler and better resulting in the Mahjong we play now.

2. Invention by Wan Bingtiao

During the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties, a man named Wan Bingtiao was so fascinated with the 108 heroes of the classical novel “Water Margin” that he created a card game in their honor.

The characters were brimming with masculine valor and brotherliness, inspiring him to design a unique card game as a tribute to their spirit.

Wan designed the game with three types of tiles: Character (Wan), Dot (Bing), and Bamboo (Tiao or Suo), an act of homophone borrowing from his name. This game reflected the essence of the heroes from Liangshan, who banded together from different regions to fight against injustice, robbing the rich to help the poor.

To give the game more significance, Wan introduced wind tiles that stood for the four cardinal directions: East-東, South-南, West-西, and North-北. He introduced cards representing the different classes of the people: Green Dragon-發 representing the upper class, the Red Dragon-中 for the middle class and the White Dragon-白板 for the commoners.

As the word spread, the game gained popularity and different types of flower tiles(梅蘭竹菊) were added. This resulted in a very colorful evolution of play styles and rules. Some versions used 108 tiles, others expanded to 136 or even 144 tiles, making the gaming experience quite lively and diverse, bringing people together for fun and competition.

Water Margin

3. Grain Protection Plaque

Legend states that in the city of Taicang in Jiangsu Province, there used to be royal granary but sparrows presented a serious challenge so that the country suffered heavy loss in grain supply.

To recover more grain, officials began offering handsome rewards to soldiers killing sparrows in large numbers. They prepared wood tokens, Grain Protection Plaque, to express the number of sparrows they were supposed to kill as a basis to calculate the compensation.

A gun was the best tool for hunting sparrows at that time. In Mahjong, the pronunciation of “Tongs” is similar to “gun.” The soldiers then used ropes to bind up the dead sparrows in fixed numbers for easier counting.

The term “Wan (萬)” is the unit for a reward for killing sparrow birds.

During their spare time, soldiers played with the plaque to amuse themselves by calling them “Sparrow Cards.”

They also added wind tiles for East (東), South (南), West (西), and North (北) since the direction of the wind would determine how the sparrows were to fly and how hard they would be to hit.

There was the “Red Dragon (中)” which indicated a hit, and the “White Dragon (白板)” indicated that he missed. The “Green Dragon (發)” tile was used for distribution.

The word “Pong” means to meld in Mahjong, and its sound is like a gunfire sound in a sharp blast. Hu to win- The sound resembles blood and flesh being hit or can be related to the name of a bird “Streptopelia” which is one species of hawk sparrow hawk.

In the local language of Taicang, there was a striking similarity in the pronunciations for “sparrow” and “Mahjong”; it is no wonder that we use their name today.

The Development History of Mahjong

Dice

Did you know that playing Mahjong is closely related to dice? The origins of Mahjong can actually be traced back to dice games.

The history of gambling games dates back three to four thousand years, originally enjoyed by royalty and nobility.

The earliest records of dice in China come from a tomb in Qingzhou, Shandong, dating back to the Warring States period.

During the Qin and Han Dynasties, dice typically had 14 or 18 sides, with each side marked with Chinese characters, call 焭（kìhng）.

It wasn’t until the Eastern Jin and Tang-Song periods that the standard six-sided dice appeared.

Ancient dice with many sides

By the Tang Dynasty, dice had become an independent gaming tool. At that time, red was a color forbidden for common people to use, so all sides of the dice were black.

Once, while Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and his favorite consort Yang Guifei were playing a dice game, the emperor turned a losing situation into a win and was overjoyed.

He ordered his servant Gao Lishi to paint the winning side of the die, which showed a 4, red.

To match it, the opposite side showing 1 was also painted red.

This design and color scheme have been preserved to this day.

Leaf Cards and Madiao

In the mid-Tang Dynasty, a type of paper called “leaf cards” was invented to record the wins and losses of dice games.

Madiao

Over time, these paper cards gradually evolved into an independent game.

By the Ming Dynasty, the rules of this game became more refined, and it was referred to as “Leaf Game,” which was an early form of Mahjong.

The game was divided into four categories: Cross, Wan, Suo, and Copper Coins, with each player receiving eight leaf cards while the rest were placed in the center.

The rules were based on the principle of “big beats small.”

To make the cards more interesting, people began printing characters from “Water Margin on the leaf cards, which then became known as “Water Margin Cards.”

Since this game was typically played by four people, and all four were necessary—similar to how a horse’s hoof has four legs—people began to refer to the Leaf Game as “Ma Diao,” which translates to “Horse Hoof.”

It can be said that the development of Mahjong involved a role reversal between dice and cards as the main elements of the game.

Modern Mahjong

The establishment of modern Mahjong is closely associated with one person: Chen Yumen, who was from Ningbo, Zhejiang.

In his youth, he was exceptionally bright. He once studied English under Mr. Yang Qitang.

In the 29th year of the Daoguang era, he was selected as a tribute student and later promoted to the position of Cabinet Secretary due to his contributions, holding the rank of a third-grade official.

He was very sociable, enjoyed playing, and was skilled at card games.

Tianyi Pavilion, Ningbo Tianyige Museum

In the past, when sailors played Leaf Cards and Ma Diao, they used paper cards.

However, due to the strong winds and waves at sea, the cards were easily blown away.

Additionally, when the cards got wet, they would quickly deteriorate.

To solve this problem, Chen Yumen decided to replace the paper cards with bamboo tiles.

Chen Yumen retained the three types of tiles in Mahjong: Character (Wan), Dot (Bing), and Bamboo (Tiao or Suo), totaling 108 tiles.

He replaced the old Joker tile with “Red Dragon (中),” changed “Red Flower” to “Green Dragon (發),” and “White Flower” to “White Dragon (白板).”

He also added the East (東), South (南), West (西), and North (北) wind tiles, with four of each, resulting in the popular set of 136 Mahjong tiles at that time.

As Chen Yumen was from Ningbo, many Mahjong terms are closely related to the Ningbo dialect and the maritime industry.

For example, in Ningbo dialect, “sparrow” is pronounced as “Mahjong,” “He (和)” is pronounced as “Hu (胡),” “Ting (停)” is pronounced as “Ting (聼),” and “Qian (嵌)” is pronounced as “Kan.” These pronunciations reflect the local dialect.

The term “Suo (Bamboo)” in Mahjong originates from fishing nets used on ships, while “Tong (Dot)” refers to the wooden barrels used for storing fresh water and grain. “Wan (Character)” represents the exchange of money during trade.

Chen Yumen added the four wind tiles both as an inspiration from the maritime industry and due to sailors’ sensitivity to the wind.

In the game, “Pong” signifies two ships colliding, while “Ting” indicates that a ship has reached the shore.

With the integration and improvement of Mahjong by Chen Yumen, the gameplay became simpler.

After the opening of trade with five ports, many ships began to gather at the Ningbo port, attracting merchants from various provinces.

As more people learned to play Mahjong, the game spread from Ningbo to other major ports, trading hubs, and eventually throughout the entire country.

Overseas

According to records, as early as the Republic of China period, Mahjong had already spread overseas, attracting many enthusiasts who joined in and studied the game.

Mahjong overseas

In Japan, books specifically introducing the rules and techniques of Mahjong have also emerged, along with numerous national Mahjong competitions.

According to research by Japanese scholars, the Japanese people first became aware of Mahjong in 1909.

It was brought back to Japan by an English teacher named Hikozo Nagawa from Sichuan.

In the 1920s, after the Great Kanto Earthquake, Japan officially began to introduce Mahjong tiles and started selling books related to the game.

Many Mahjong parlors with Chinese-style decorations began to appear across the country.

New rules, such as “Riichi” and “Dora,” were added to the original game, creating a style of play that was distinctly different from Chinese Mahjong.

The number of competitive events gradually increased, and Mahjong-related comics and games emerged one after another.

Even local governments and organizations actively promoted Mahjong, and at one point, the number of players exceeded ten million.

Japanese-made “Automatic Mahjong machines” also became popular worldwide.

Automatic Mahjong Tables

Finally

Mahjong not only has unique gameplay characteristics but also combines elements of intelligence, fun, and strategy, leading to the belief that playing Mahjong regularly can help prevent dementia in the elderly.

In 2017, the International Mind Sports Association announced that Mahjong officially became a recognized mind sport worldwide.

The techniques of Mahjong also embody philosophical insights into how people interact and conduct themselves in society.

What a great game! Here are the simplest rules for Guangdong Mahjong. Why not give it a try? Start playing Mahjong today!”

FAQ

Why is mahjong called mahjong?

According to the records regarding the origin of Mahjong related to the “Grain Protection Plaque” theory, the gameplay, symbols, and terminology of this protective card game were all closely related to catching sparrows.

Later, during the development of Modern Mahjong by Chen Yumen, the term “sparrow” was pronounced similarly to “Mahjong” in the local dialects. As the game spread, it gradually evolved into the name “Mahjong.”

Additionally, in China such as Hong Kong, Guangdong, and Zhejiang, the pronunciation of Mahjong still closely resembles that of “sparrow.”

Is there a difference between American mahjong and Chinese mahjong?

Yes, American and Chinese mahjong differ in a number of ways, including the number of tiles, the rules, and the cultural significance:

Tiles

American mahjong sets have 166 tiles, while Chinese mahjong sets have 136 or 144 tiles base on different region rules.

In Chinese Mahjong they don’t have joker tiles, but some rules allow some tiles can change to anyone, like joker.

Rules

American mahjong uses a card to list the allowed hands, which change regularly.

Chinese mahjong doesn’t use cards, and the allowed hands never change.

Some region rules allow tile-passing exchange like Chinese SiChuan Mahjong and American mahjong.

Also see

• Mahjong Chow Rules
• Mahjong Pong Rules
• Mahjong Kong Rules

Complexity

American Mahjong is played according to a set of instruction cards that dictate how to combine the tiles.

Players must follow the patterns outlined on these cards to form their hands, which provides a structured approach to the game.

In contrast, Chinese Mahjong is generally more complex. For example, in National Standard Mahjong, players must achieve specific points to win, and there are various scoring rules based on different combinations. Also see here ‘Mahjong Scoring Winning Hands’.

However, some regional variations, like Cantonese Mahjong, have simpler rules that are more beginner-friendly, making it easier for newcomers to learn and enjoy the game. You can find it here ‘The Simpleset Chinese Guangdong Mahjong Rules’.

Cultural significance

In China, mahjong is a social activity that’s deeply ingrained in the culture not just only a hobby or pasttime.

Are there any benefits to playing mahjong?

Yes, base on this paper on Social Science & Medicine, indicating that engaging in activities such as playing Mahjong, chess, or poker at least once a week can significantly reduce the risk of depression.

The reason for this effect is that playing Mahjong serves as a social activity. Instead of staying at home for long periods without interacting with others, it is beneficial to invite a few friends over, gather around the table, and enjoy a few rounds of Mahjong.

This social interaction can help improve mental well-being and foster connections with others.

Is Mahjong a good brain exercise?

Some say playing Mahjong can reduce the risk of dementia. In terms of prevention, playing Mahjong can be an effective strategy. Engaging in Mahjong stimulates the brain, enhancing memory and reaction time, and can mildly improve cognitive impairments.

This is because, compared to other games for the elderly, Mahjong is an intellectual activity. During the game, players must think critically about their card-playing speed, which cards to play, and how to form winning hands, all of which actively engage the mind.

Do you have to be smart to play mahjong?

This is likely not strongly related to smart or not; it seems more about familiarity and practice.

Of course, playing Mahjong, like other puzzle games, involves a certain level of skill. However, this skill is developed through practice, as the saying goes, “practice makes perfect.”

The more one plays, the better they become at understanding the strategies and nuances of the game, which can enhance their overall performance.

You can also check this Mahjong strategies.

Does Mahjong require math skills?

It mainly relies on experience. Players need to assess their own tiles and the tiles played by others to estimate the state of their opponents’ hands.

This allows them to choose a path that enables them to win while avoiding giving points to others.

However, this process is quite complex, and even with a well-established model, it can be challenging to make accurate estimations through simple calculations during a game.

Overall, experience takes precedence, but luck also plays a significant role. While skilled players can make informed decisions based on their knowledge and past experiences, the element of chance in drawing tiles can greatly influence the outcome of the game.

Thus, a combination of experience and a bit of luck often determines success in Mahjong.