Mahjong Mahjong or mah-jongg (English pronunciation: ) is a tile-based game that was developed in the 19th century in China and has spread throughout the world since the early 20th century. It is commonly played by four players (with some three-pla ...

is a strategy-based tile game developed during the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

in China. It has since spread worldwide. The game has a long history and significance in many countries, particularly in Asia. Places like China and Japan have especially strong cultural ties to the game. In China, the game has evolved to represent peace and friendship. Inviting someone to a game of Mahjong is almost synonymous with friendship. Expensive Mahjong sets can be seen as a status symbol and are a source of pride among Chinese families. 2005-07-08 Mahjong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...

: *During a Chinese wedding banquet, guests play Mahjong during the waiting time. *A count-down Mahjong before the

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly referred to as the Spring Festival () a ...

or the

New Year New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system ...

is a typical practice for many

families. *While most people have a Mahjong set at home, most Chinese restaurants offer sets of Mahjong equipment for their customers. *Officially,

casino A casino is a facility for certain types of gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos are also known for hosting live enterta ...

s are illegal in Hong Kong. However, there are legal Mahjong schools, where gamblers can play Mahjong. *The elderly are encouraged to play Mahjong as brain exercise. *To invite a person to a Mahjong game is an indication of friendliness in

Chinese Culture Chinese culture () is one of the world's oldest cultures, originating thousands of years ago. The culture prevails across a large geographical region in East Asia and is extremely diverse and varying, with customs and traditions varying grea ...

. However, Mahjong games also create problems. Addiction to Mahjong is a common type of

problem gambling Problem gambling or ludomania is repetitive gambling behavior despite harm and negative consequences. Problem gambling may be diagnosed as a mental disorder according to ''DSM-5'' if certain diagnostic criteria are met. Pathological gambling is ...

. Mahjong is also a favourite medium for

bribery Bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With regard to governmental operations, essentially, bribery is "Cor ...

- the person giving the bribe will intentionally lose large sums of money to the person being bribed. Recent studies also suggest Mahjong can cause epilepsy

References

Mahjong Chinese culture Entertainment in Hong Kong Gambling in Hong Kong {{Culture-stub

Hong Kong

See also

References