The History Of Mahjong
Learning the history of Mahjong is a great way to develop an appreciation of this fascinating game. Mahjong continues to capture the minds of people all across the world, though it is definitely most popular in Asia.
There is a myth that it was Confucius who developed and spread the game of Mahjong, but many records indicate otherwise. Actually, the first known mention of Mahjong comes from around the 19th century. It was likely based on an earlier game and then adapted into the present form of Mahjong.
It is not evident who actually created the game, though some believe that it came from the soldiers in the Chinese army during the Taiping rebellion. Others think they can trace it back to brothers who lived in Ningpo.
Mahjong surprisingly caught on in popularity in the United States after Abercrombie and Fitch bought sets from the Chinese and distributed them. Also, a man named Joseph Park Babcock wrote a book in the 1920’s that further stimulated interest in Mahjong in the west.
As Mahjong traveled through different countries, each location has put its own spin on the rules and the way Mahjong is played, though everything grew out of Classical Mahjong. “American Mahjong” is actually what is played in US Mahjong tournaments. Its rules and pieces are quite different from that of the traditional Chinese game. There is even a solitaire version that is simplified for a single player.
Other Mahjong versions include “Cantonese Mahjong”, “Western Classical Mahjong”, “Singapore Mahjong”, and “3-player Mahjong”. They all include slightly different rules, game play length, and even different pieces.
Mahjong continues to grow in popularity all over the world. There are massive tournaments held to find Mahjong champions. Even though it is most popular in China, the game is a very familiar one in both Asian and Western Countries.
Though the Mahjong setup differs according to the version you’re going to play, you’ll generally use tiles with characters on them, dice, and chips for keeping score. The tiles can either be made of dense material or out of cardboard for easier transport.
These days, this popular game has been taken from its physical form and put into electronic form. Mahjong can be played on handheld gaming systems as well as on many popular gaming consoles. It is also an extremely popular game online.
When you play Mahjong online you’ll usually find a solitaire version of the game.
The tiles will be pre-stacked for you and you’ll play using Flash or JavaScript right from within your Web browser. The best news is that playing online is usually free, and there are several Websites where you can play. Mahjonged.com.com is a great place to play and they have several different versions of Mahjong to choose from.
Learning about the history of Mahjong is a great Introduction to this wonderful game. There is definitely a reason that it has been able to span the imaginations of so many across many generations. Mahjong will only continue to grow in popularity, especially now that it’s seen such tremendous popularity on the Internet.
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