About Mah-Jongg

Mah-Jongg is a game originating from China. The game itself is played similarly to dominoes or gin rummy with various pieces needing to be collected to form sets so that one player can call, "Mah-Jongg." Mah-Jongg is played with decorative tiles unique to the game. These tiles range from hand painted and carved to more affordable plastic tiles. Mah-Jongg's unique look has made it popular with western players who see the Chinese symbols having a unique and exotic flavor. The game has now spawned many Internet-only versions, video games and other ways of playing the original game among friends.

History

There is some debate over the true origins of Mah-Jongg. Many believe that Mah-Jongg in its near-present form was invented by Shanghai nobles in the late 1800s. There is also a myth that the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius invented the game in 500 B.C. Still others hold that Mah-Jongg was based on an old Chinese card game called Madiao from the Ming Dynasty.

Identification

Mah-Jongg is easily recognized by its characteristic tiles. Each set of tiles represents a suit like in playing cards. The suits are: stones, bamboos and characters. There are also additional tiles called "Honor" tiles. These are Winds and Dragons. There is also a third set of tiles that is optional called flower tiles. The suits are recognized by the drawings on them. Stones have small circles while bamboos have actual stalks of bamboo drawn on them and characters have the numbered Chinese characters. Winds are labeled in Chinese as north, east, west and south and the dragons often have pictures of classic Chinese dragons on them. Flowers, too, have actual flower pictures drawn on the tiles.

Types

As with playing cards there are many variants of playing Mah-Jonng. Below are some of the most common types.

Classic Mah-Jongg: This is the oldest style of play and came to America in the early 20th century. While this older form of play still has a cult following in the United States it is no longer the most popular form of play worldwide and few people use this style in China.

Cantonese Mah-Jongg: Closely resembles Classic Mah-Jongg but with a few differences in scoring.

Western Classical Mah-Jongg: Brought to America in the early 20th century this game uses more western-style play such as jokers and wild cards.

Japanese Mah-Jongg: This is the most common electric form of Mah-Jongg as most of the video games about Mah-Jongg have originated from Japan.

Solitaire Mah-Jongg: This is one of the most popular forms of play and has gained popularity due to its presence online. Players use the Mah-Jongg tiles and create matching groups to try and clear the board.

Features

Mah-Jongg consists of between 136 to 144 tiles. Each tile represents a suit with a number from one to nine much like traditional cards. Depending on the style of play, fewer tiles may be used. Flowers in particular are often left out of most styles of play. The tiles themselves are traditionally made from carved ivory. On the back of this ivory is bamboo or leather that is used to protect the valuable ivory. Today most Mah-Jongg sets are made from plastic but there is still a fair amount of attention to detail on each tile, which is part of the appeal for many players.

Function

The primary function and purpose of Mah-Jongg is for play. The advent of technology and civilization has led to game-playing in all cultures as a way to form social bonds and pass the time. Mah-Jongg's main function is to serve as a game set with enough pieces so that they can be randomized for maximum variables during play. The amount of different pieces ensures that no two games of Mah-Jongg will be played the same way. The easily identifiable shapes and designs of the pieces allow players to play the game regardless of whether or they read. This was common with many early games as worldwide literacy was not common.

Resources

• The rules for playing your own game of Mah-Jongg