About mahjong
Mahjong History: Where It Came From
Quick answer
Mahjong's history starts in China in the mid-1800s, late in the Qing dynasty. Ningbo and Fujian both claim to be its birthplace. The oldest surviving sets date to about 1870. The game reached the US around 1920. The National Mah Jongg League began in New York City in 1937.
At a glance
- Where it began: China
- When: the mid-1800s
- Oldest surviving sets: about 1870
- Came to the US: around 1920
- National Mah Jongg League: founded in 1937
- A sport in China: since 1998
Where did mahjong originate?
Mahjong's country of origin is China. It began there in the mid-1800s, late in the Qing dynasty.
No one is sure of the exact place. Ningbo, a city in Zhejiang, is named most often. Fujian also claims to be its home.
The game grew out of older Chinese card games. In those games, players drew cards and threw them away, much like mahjong.
The oldest mahjong sets that still exist date to about 1870. By the late 1800s, the game was popular in Shanghai.
Who invented mahjong?
No one knows for sure who invented mahjong. Even its exact birthplace is still argued about.
You may hear that Confucius invented it. That is a myth. Confucius lived from 551 to 479 BC. That was more than 2,000 years before mahjong began.
Is mahjong Chinese or Japanese?
Mahjong is Chinese. It began in China, not Japan.
Japan has its own style, called riichi mahjong. It uses 136 tiles and no flower tiles. Learn more about riichi mahjong.
How did mahjong come to America?
Mahjong came to the US around 1920. Joseph Park Babcock played a big part.
Babcock worked for Standard Oil in Suzhou, China. He began sending sets with English labels to the US. In 1920, he wrote a rule book, Rules of Mah-Jongg. It became known as the red book. He also trademarked the name Mah-Jongg.
Also in 1920, Abercrombie & Fitch began selling sets in the US. A craze swept the country in the early 1920s. By 1924, mahjong sets were Shanghai's sixth biggest export to the US.
In 1937, a group of players in New York City formed the National Mah Jongg League. Most were Jewish women. They wanted everyone to play by the same rules. Over the years, the game spread to the Catskills and to Florida.
Today the League puts out a new card of winning hands each year. Learn how to play American mahjong.
Why was mahjong banned in China?
Mahjong was banned in China because of its link to gambling. People often played it for money.
After the Communists took power in 1949, they discouraged the game. During the Cultural Revolution, from 1966 to 1976, it was banned.
In 1985, mahjong was allowed again, as long as no one gambled. In 1998, China recognized it as a sport. New tournament rules came out that year with a motto: no gambling, no drinking and no smoking.
What are the key dates in mahjong history?
Here are the big moments, from China to the US.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Mid-1800s | Mahjong begins in China. |
| About 1870 | Oldest sets that still exist. |
| Late 1800s | Popular in Shanghai. |
| 1920 | Babcock's rule book. Sets go on sale in the US. |
| Early 1920s | A mahjong craze in the US. |
| 1937 | National Mah Jongg League founded. |
| 1966 to 1976 | Banned in China. |
| 1985 | Allowed again in China, without gambling. |
| 1998 | Recognized as a sport in China. |
| 2020s | A new wave of players in the US. |
Today, mahjong is having a revival. New clubs, social media and new set makers are drawing in players. See why mahjong is so popular.
Want to play a game with a long history?
Our American and Chinese sets bring a game with over 150 years of history to your table.
Questions people ask
How old is mahjong?
Mahjong is more than 150 years old. It began in the mid-1800s. The oldest sets that still exist date to about 1870.
Where does the name mahjong come from?
It comes from Chinese. The game's older name, maque, means sparrow. Read more in what does mahjong mean.
How big is the National Mah Jongg League?
The League says it started with 32 members. Today it says it has over 350,000.