Originally a game played with a set of tiles on a table of four, you can now take this well loved game of skill, strategy, logic and chance on the road with this petit pack of Mahjong cards.
Travel-friendly Mahjong Cards, $8
Product details:
- Deck of 160 cards, 8cm length, 2.5cm width
- Fabulous for the small apartment, travel, daytrips, road trips and picnics without the weight of real mahjong tiles/table.
Usage suggestion:
- Stimulate your mind. Learn and Play. check out: A beginners guide to learning how to play mahjong.
- Add an instant Eastern accent to a room. Frame and display as decorative wall art.
- Gift for Mahjong fans.
History of Mahjong
One of the myths of the origin of mahjong suggests that Confucius, the Chinese philosopher, developed the game in about 500 BC. The three dragon (cardinal) tiles also agree with the three cardinal virtues bequeathed by Confucius. Hóng Zhōng (紅中, red middle), Fā Cái (發財, prosperity), and Bái Ban (白板, white board) represent benevolence, sincerity, and filial piety, respectively.
The myth also claims that Confucius was fond of birds, which would explain the name "mahjong" (maque 麻雀 = sparrow).
Many historians believe it was based on a Chinese card game called Mǎdiào (馬吊) (also known as Ma Tiae, hanging horse; or Yèzí [葉子], leaf) in the early Ming dynasty. This game was played with 40 paper cards similar in appearance to the cards used in the game Ya Pei. These 40 cards are numbered 1 to 9 in four different suits, along with four extra flower cards. This is quite similar to the numbering of mahjong tiles today, although mahjong only has three suits and, in effect, uses four packs of Ya Pei cards.
There is still some debate about who created the game. One theory is that Chinese army officers serving during the Taiping Rebellion created the game to pass the time. Another theory is that a nobleman living in the Shanghai area created the game between 1870 and 1875. Others believe that two brothers from Níngpō created mahjong around 1850, from the earlier game of Mǎdiào.
This game was banned by the government of People's Republic of China when it took power in 1949. The new Communist government forbade any gambling activities, which were regarded as symbols of capitalist corruption. After the Cultural Revolution, the game was revived, without gambling elements, and the prohibition was revoked in 1985. Today, it is a favourite pastime in China and other Chinese-speaking communities.
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