#CHINESE MAHJONG TILES HOW TO#
#CHINESE MAHJONG TILES FREE#

Here we focus on the Chinese mahjong rules, which are quite simple to follow:Īll 136 tiles are shuffled face down and 4 square walls are built with 34 tiles each. There are many versions of mahjong rules, but the main 4 are In Chinese, they are the 筒子tǒngzi meaning 'barrel' or 'tube-shaped', named after circular coins (once used in China) with a hole in them. Traditionally, a standard set has 144 tiles, but now most places in China use only 136 tiles omitting the 4 flowers and 4 seasons.ģ6 circle tiles in 4 identical sets of 9 tiles with one to nine circles engraved on them. In 1998, the State Sports Commission of China recognized mahjong as a 255th sport, and the Official International Rules for mahjong were released the same year. In the 1920s, the British and Americans, also, started enjoying the game and as a result, the rules evolved. In Japan, mahjong clubs formed in the early part of the century. The expatriate population of Shanghai picked up the game in the cafes that they frequented and brought it back to their home countries. The game soon spread to other cities in China as Ningbo was a business port city.Īt the turn of the 20th century, the game spread beyond China's borders which led to variants on the traditional Chinese rules. Instead of paper, he used bamboo and bone to make mahjong. In 1846, a Chen Yumen (courtesy name Chen Zhengyue) from Ningbo, created a mahjong game based on Peng He Pai. Three-suited money cards became favored (one of the four money suits was dropped), and in a development that surely led to Peng He Pai, a game that uses four sets of three-suited cards. Many money card games evolved from ma diao and many variations of money card decks have come and gone.

Coins correspond to circles coin strings correspond to the bamboos coin string myriads correspond to the characters. Three of the four Ma Diao suits resembles the three suits of mahjong. There are 32 of these dominoes and are meant to be representations of star constellations.Īnother game, Ma Diao, popular during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE), was a trick-taking game for four players, played with four-suited money cards. They look very similar to dominoes, with a total of 227 pips. Xuan He Pai, a game that originated in the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE), used wood and ivory cards similar to today's mahjong tiles.

Throughout China's history, there were several games similar to modern mahjong. According to the legend, this explains why there are so many references to sailing found on the tiles. Another legend suggests that ZhengHe (a Chinese explorer who commanded 7 sails across Asia and Africa in the early 15th century) invented mahjong while attempting to find a way to entertain his crew members during their sailings. There are many theories and legends about mahjong's origins - some people have said it goes back to the time of Confucius but there is no evidence for this. In Sichuan Province, they do not use the wind tiles and dragon tiles, therefore they have only 108 tiles. In northern China, there are no flower and season tiles, they just have the 136 tiles. Like many popular games, mahjong has many regional variations. In all, there are 144 tiles, of which 36 tiles are in the bamboo suit, 36 in the circle suit, 36 in the character suit, 16 wind tiles, 12 dragon tiles, and 8 bonus tiles (4 flowers and 4 seasons). Four players play the game using numbered tiles, which were made of bamboo or bone in the past, but nowadays they are made of plastic. It is known as 麻雀 máquè or 'sparrow game' in some areas in China, which is played with sets of tiles.

#CHINESE MAHJONG TILES FREE#

Free online Mahjong Games and recommended Apps.

#CHINESE MAHJONG TILES HOW TO#

Video: Learn How to Play Mahjong Step by Step.

Special Hands (Thirteen Orphans, Pure One Suit.).

The Objective, Setup, The Play, Game End.

Mahjong set of Tiles: Circles, Bamboos, Characters, Winds, Dragons.

Chinese mahjong tiles