About Mahjongg
Mahjongg originated in China in the 19th century. It is a game for four players, using specially marked tiles that resemble small dominos. The game is similar to card games such as bridge or rummy, and is sometimes played with cards in Asia. The object is to collect winning suits of tiles. Today, it is played all over the world, but it is most popular in China and Japan. There are many different regional variations of rules in this complex game. In Asia, it is mainly a gambling game, while in the United States it is generally played for fun and competition.
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History
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The first recorded mention of mahjongg in China occurred in the 19th century, although some people believe it was invented by Confucius in 500 B.C. The government of the People's Republic of China banned mahjongg in 1949, and it was revived after the Cultural Revolution. It was first introduced in the United States by Abercrombie & Fitch in 1920, and became popular among Jewish immigrants in New York. Eddie Cantor wrote a song about it called "Since Ma is Playing Mah Jong."
Types
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There are 13 main variations of the rules of mahjongg, in addition to hundreds of minor variants. The Asian variations include Cantonese, Chinese Classical, Sichuan, Japanese, Taiwanese, Singapore, Fujian, Filipino and Vietnamese. In the United States, there are two versions: Western Classical and American. Western Classical most closely resembles the game originally introduced in the 1920s, and is especially popular on U.S. military bases. The U.S. version has been adopted by both the National Mahjongg League and the American Mahjongg Association. There is also a three-person version of the game, as well as a version called Pussers Bones, originating with the sailors in the Royal Australian Navy.
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Features
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Mahjongg is played with small tiles made of ivory or bone, which are inscribed with characters or symbols. There are three suits of tiles called stones, bamboos and characters. These are based on the Chinese money system. There are two honors called wind tiles and dragon tiles, eight flower tiles and joker tiles, which are not used in every variation. Most sets also include chips or larger bone tiles used for scoring, as well as dice and sometimes racks for holding the tiles.
Culture
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Mahjongg has become part of Asian and Jewish-American culture. In both of these ethnic groups it is seen as a way to bring families and friends together, and both cultures celebrate by having mahjongg parties. Mahjongg is often played during a traditional Chinese wedding banquet. In the 1920s in the United States, it was very popular to hold a Chinese night party, where the decorations, food and music were all inspired by Chinese culture. The centerpiece of the evening was the game of mahjongg. U.S. military wives also espoused the mahjongg culture, forming clubs on military bases around the world.
Technology
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The Japanese have developed a computer version of a game called mahjongg solitaire that incorporates some of the elements of the classic Chinese version of mahjongg. This game more closely resembles dominos and is not played in hands like traditional mahjongg.
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