Chinese Mah-Jong Game

Vintage Lowe Mah-Jongg Set courtesy of
Flickr (CC License)



Origin



If legends are to be believed, this interesting game originated in the court of the King of Wu. The legend attributes the invention of the game to a Chinese beauty who used to live in seclusion and designed the game to break the monotony of living alone in the big palace.

However, a school of historians are of the opinion that the Chinese Maha-Jong game can not be older than 200 years as no reliable historical evidence is found to exist before that.

The Historical accounts of Chinese Mahjong game can be traced in the latter part of 1890 in the area of Ning Po (China).




How the Game Reached West ?



The popularity of the game spread like wild fire and reached the other parts of China. Each province rendered it new set of features and rules. But it was not until the First World War, that the game was made popular in the other continents.

There was an American called Joseph Babcock residing in Shanghai, who was responsible for introducing this game to the western world. He along with a British engineer called Walker thought of adding Arabic numbers to the mahjong tiles. With this effort the game became much easier to play by the non-Chinese.





The Parts



The game is played with a set of 144 Mah Jong tiles.

36 tiles in the Bamboo suit,
36 in the Circle suit,
36 in the Character suit,
16 Wind tiles,
12 Dragon tiles,
8 bonus tiles (4 Flowers and 4 Seasons).






The rules



The players aim at collecting sets of tiles of different number and types and the first player to acquire the entire set is declared "Mah Jong".

At a first glance the Chinese mah-jong game might seem complicated, but it is a simple game which can be the source of great fun for the whole family.





Links for You to Master the Rules of Maha-Jong Game

West-Meet-East: Chinese Culture - Mahjong

CHINESE MAH-JONGG SIMPLIFIED

Mahjong Competition Rules (Chinese Official)

The Rules of Mahjong

Chinese Mahjong Rules

Product Description:
The Great Mahjong Book is a perfect resource for the beginning or experienced mahjong player. This comprehensive book covers the entire history of mahjong as it spread around the globe, on the equipment and accessories used in the game, the basic rules, how and where the game first developed and all the international variants of mahjong-including China, the U.S., Holland, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Hong Kong. Filled with hints, fun facts and numerous illustrations of memorabilia and artifacts, this authoritative and thoroughly enjoyable book is a perfect gift for anyone interested in this ancient and beguiling game.


The Great Mahjong Book: History, Lore, and Play

Chinese Ladies Playing Mahjong in the Pavilion of a House, Chinese School, Mid 19th Century

Product Description:
This Mah Jong set was handmade in China. The Mah Jong pieces were made with bone and Bamboo. Every tile has English and Chinese writing on it, so both Chinese and English speakers can use this set. The box is made with elm wood. It is covered with leather and the painting on the box was done by hand. The design of the box is very unique. The set has 144 pieces. It also comes with a free set of dice and game sticks. The size of the box is 11 * 12 * 6 inches. The Mah Jong pieces are 1* 0.75 * 0.4. The rules of Mah Jong can be found in our Glossary link.


Chinese Leather Good Luck Mah Jong Set

Overhead of Mahjong Pieces

Product Description:
This dark wood square column is inlaid on all sides with mah jong tiles and is a sophisticated, yet interesting table lamp.


Mah Jong Tiles Encased in Wood Table Lamp

Product Details:

* Material: Ox Bone

* Size: 2.25in Diameter Each tile is .375in W x .625in H

* Elastic band for easy of use

Ox Bone Mah Jong Tile Bracelet Black