Mahjong, commonly played by four players, is the most played card game in the world, the card was replaced by tiles sometimes in the 1850s. It is a “draw and discard” game to form “melds” which consist of forming a set of three or four identical tiles and/or a set of three in sequence of the same suit, not too unlike the Western card game of “Rummy”. “Mahjong” is the literal translation for the Chinese word “Sparrow”. What makes mahjong mesmerizing is its inexhaustive combinations of play leading to a wide range of scenarios which the players have to deal with great skill lest they loose the game.
“Mahjong” is the literal translation of the Chinese word “Sparrow”
A dying breed of mahjong shops in Hong Kong.
When I arrived in Hong Kong in 1966 I could not miss the clacking sound of the mahjong tiles all over the city, whether it be from the living room of my neighbour, the corner space in a local store, the dining hall of restaurant, or simply in the open air under the banyan tree. Mahjong was also joyously played by guests at weddings for a few hours prior to serving dinner. The game, though innocent as a game of chess in outward appearance, has in fact a strong element of “gambling” with a burning urge on the part of the players to win. After all, I have yet to find a Hong Kong person willing to sit at the mahjong table for hours on end, if it is not for the chance to make some money. Gambling was and is still illegal in Hong Kong and to get around being caught by Police, the players used “chips” which at the end of the game would be paid back in hard currency.
Unlike the game of poker where all the players sit silently, without saying a word or making any abrupt body movement, mahjong was played in Hong Kong with a lot of fanfare. Firstly the players would be chattering, if not shouting, incessantly telling or bragging or complaining about any and everything. From telling about their misery at the office or their lucky winnings at the Race Course to the annoyance of their unbearable wives at home. Secondly the tiles were discarded with utmost energy, with a heavy bang on the mahjong board, the louder the merrier. If the radio could blast the latest Cantonese Opera Song to the already hectic environment, so much the better. Needless to say all the noise had to be complemented with incessant smoking and/or drinking Chinese tea, beer or alcohol. A serious real party it was!
Concentration is the key to winning a game of mahjong, apart from luck.
Women were no less immune to this contagious game, and they did get together for regular mahjong. What better opportunity was there to gossip the afternoon or night away, enjoying anecdotes of cheating husbands and opining strategies as how to keep their conniving husbands under their grip, or bragging about their good fortune, a favourite pastime among some self centred and snobbish “tai tai” wives.
Though traditional Confucian Chinese family snubbed at any sort of gambling particularly among the young children, it was acceptable practice to let young teenagers play a game of mahjong at home, within the comfort of the family circle. So it was not any surprise that small kid, as young as 10 years old, playing mahjong with mom, grandma and other siblings.
Despite against the teaching of Confucius, children are allowed to play mahjong within the boundary of the family circle.
For a long time bribery was a quick way to get things done in Hong Kong, and corruption was so rampant that the Government created ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) in 1974 to put a check on the illegal practice. Mahjong became an alternate venue for people to continue to indulge in bribery without running foul of the law. An orchestrated loss at a friendly mahjong game enabled the passing of money from one person to another, a convenient way to safe bribery.
After work as Western people went to the bar to have a beer, the Hong Kong counterparts, mainly the male workers, went for a long evening of Mahjong. The city played good host to this addictive activity, in that most restaurants offered comfortable venue for the game which could last till the wee hour of the morning. Dinner served in between and snacks and drinks all through the night. Such a habit did not always bode well with the wives and was not conducive to a harmonious family environment. The game was, in all respect, a gambling game and involved money, the stake of which was pre-agreed among the players, could be a dollar a point or the sky the limit. Many players returned home broke and unable to feed their family. How many families were thus broken your guess is as good as mine.
However evil it is, Mahjong can work well for some people. First, it brings people together, whether they are members of the family, colleagues, neighbours or acquaintances, and is a good and enjoyable way to build friendship. My mother-in-law used to play regular mahjong with her neighbours, one of whom was in her nineties at the time. I had also played a few games with my mother-in-law to be, and it was an open secret that one should let mother-in-law win to gain her favour, lest she forbade her daughter to have anything to do with you. Mahjong game can also enhance your career. My wife’s brother-in-law who worked for the Taxation Office was at a dead end in his career for many years, until one day he was given the opportunity to become a regular mahjong player with some of his superiors. Then on, his career just flourished. Mahjong is also believed to improve health as the players are in regular motion, like doing mild exercise, as they shuffle and play the tiles. Further the brain is in constant alert, having to formulate strategies and remember your opponents’ every move, beneficial to individuals suffering from dementia.
Mahjong keeps this aging lady active and healthy.
Mahjong can also break friendship whence one player keeps winning and consequently fester frustration and angers amongst the others, or when one player plays discriminately against another to his irritation.
For the diehard gamblers there were, and some still exist to this day, licensed mahjong parlours where they could play with other unknown individuals. These parlours were considered undesirable places by most citizens and were believed to be run by Triads, the local mafia. The chance of winning was slim considering that your opponents might be part of a team or gang that discreetly collaborated to ensure your downfall. Other diehard players might participate in marathon games lasting from Friday evening to Sunday night. Then there were annual Mahjong Competitions, for the brave and daring, staged in many Asian countries where the winner earned the title of “Mahjong King”. For many players the most frustrating part was when a game had to be aborted because one player defaulted at the last minute and a replacement could not be found. The feeling was similar to that of a kid waiting for the promised ice cream that never arrived. A miserable ruined day.
Dare you to play at the licensed mahjong parlour.
There are also, till today, “social” unlicensed low-stake neighbourhood mahjong parlours in Hong Kong, catering to the retired mom and dad, grandma and grandpa types who just want to spend a couple of hours of leisure. These parlours, just the same, get raided by Police from time to time
Police raid at a “social” neighbourhood unlicensed mahjong parlour.
Mahjong is addictive, and Hong Kong people who have immigrated often continue to play the game with their friends in the new country. My neighbour, whose father and mother-in-law just landed in Toronto from Anhui Province in China, casually suggested a game of mahjong with them. I just learn that Mahjong has become the favourite past time of the Chinese people, this within a short period of time as China had banned mahjong from 1949 to 1985 because it was considered a “bourgeois” vice.
Superstition has been a part of Chinese culture for thousand of years and this belief is manifested widely day to day, even when playing a game of mahjong. The game always starts with the players given an opportunity to choose one of the four seats, done through the throw of the dices. If you understand “Fung Shui”, the art of geomancy, you would probably choose an auspicious spot such as away from the sight of the lavatory or away from traffic behind your back. If you are continuously loosing or one opponent is constantly winning, you would like to break up this cycle by getting up and requesting to go to the washroom. Some players would wear specific underwear, red carries good omen, or wear lucky clothing or trinkets. Others resort to humming or singing as a way to frustrate their opponents and bring them bad luck. You are free to make up your own remedy. It might work!.