Understanding our obsession with mahjong. By Sandy Rie.

Day and night, residents across Hong Kong hear a familiar sound: the loud clickety-clack of tiles being moved across a table in pursuit of the ultimate pair. Combined with this is the cacophony of screaming voices and probably plenty of money being exchanged. For many, mahjong is a relaxing social game, even a ritual—but it's also serious business.

Alternatively, so is xiangqi, also known as Chinese chess. Players are  bit quieter, but the game is just as commonly played in parks across the city. And unlike mahjong, it is all very pleasant and civilized; players usually don't have the tendency to swear when they lose. What is it about the two traditional pastimes that have us so addicted?

The Temptation of Mahjong
Mahjong was invented over 2,000 years ago in Asia. No one knows exactly who invented it, but it's such a complicated game that fans usually claim the inventor was a genius—whoever he or she was. With 144 tiles, three dice, a north-east-south-west compass and a wooden square table, people can be entertained for hours and hours, losing sleep and perhaps money on any given day. Chris Cheung, the manager of Hong Kong Mahjong House, comments, "Hong Kong people love playing mahjong because it is a traditional Chinese game. It's been around for thousands of years. It's our culture."

There are many variations of the game. The modern version that most people play here today is only about 150 years old. There are other versions such as Japanese Mahjong, Korean Mahjong, Singaporean Mahjong, American Mahjong and more. In Taiwanese mahjong, for example, you would have extra flower tiles.

It's a farily complicated game, but it basically goes like this: The tiles are mixed on the tabletop (for that loud clanking noise, try out the swimming hand movement). Then, each player gets 34 tiles placed in two rows against the edge of the table, stacking the first row of 17 tiles over the second row of 17, and pushes the stack forward to form a quadrilateral with the other three stacks. The first player starts off being the East and rolls the dice. Depending on the number, tiles can then be taken from a particular spot in the stacks in turn. Once players get their set of 13 tiles, the game can begin.

A turn begins when a player draws a new tile, and ends when they discard one of their own. Once a player's turn ends, it goes anti-clockwise to the next player. The game continues in this fashion except when a player discards a tile that another player could use, either for forming three of the same kind or a consecutive set of three. To win, you must transform your hand of tiles into a scoring hand before anyone else can do the same. Depending on what combination you attain, you receive a score measured in "fan" and losers have to pay you according to your "fan."

Pros and Cons
You've heard the old saying "It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye." This applies. Mahjong can become an addiction and it has indeed influenced many lives in Hong Kong: some lose relationships with family and lovers from frequenting the mahjong parlors too much, some lose money from losing too many games, and some lose body parts from owing too much money to loan sharks or fellow players. Put simply, for many people, mahjong is a game to live for, and for some, a game to die for. Players can go through their entire spectrum of emotions in the span of a day, from the joy of attaining the "13 odds" arrangement to the devastation of missing an opportunity to win.

Sound dramatic? A 65-year-old man residing in Mongkok recalls, "There was this one time when my friend invited me to play mahjong. I had a doctor's appointment that day but decided to cancel it and went to play mahjong instead. That day I was really lucky and kept winning. I was about to achieve the "13 odds" arrangement and finally did through drawing the winning tile on my turn. I got so excited that it prompted a heart attack. Looking back on the day, I should have gone to the doctor."

On the flip side, playing mahjong regularly is said to be good for the mind, especially for the elderly. It has even been said that playing mahjong is a good way to prevent dementia, as it forces players to analyze and think strategically, keepng the brain active.

Mahjong is also a very good way to build relationships, as players can socialize with each other while playing. This is why it is customarily played at big family events, such as Chinese Lunar New Year, weddings and birthday parties.

Mano A Mano
If mahjong's not your thing, maybe you should opt for the two-player board game of xiangqi, or Chinese chess. Like all forms of chess, xiangqi is a descendant of the Indian game of Chaturanga. This relatively modern Chinese chess game was only fully developed by the end of the Song dynasty (960-1279).

It's a common myth that the modern game of Chinese chess contains some traces of an ancient system of divination in which pieces represent how celestial bodies moved about on a map of cosmos that is divided by the Milky Way, which is known as a "river" in Chinese. The name xiangqi has astrological connotations. "Xiang" has many meanings, and one of them is "star" or "heavenly body." Hence, xiangqi might mean "celestial game."

Regardless, it's pretty similar to normal chess. The object of the game is to capture the enemy general, or king. Players take turns and must make a single move with a single piece. Pieces can be taken away from play if the opponent's piece can replace its spot. The game continues until the general is captured in a checkmate.

The board is very different from the one used for western chess. The pieces are played on the lines, not on the squares. The blank strip dividing the two sides is the river. The nine points marked by an "X " on each side constitute the castle or palace. The general and his two mandarins cannot leave this area. The small markings on the third and fourth ranks on each side are simply an aid to the initial placement of the soldiers and the cannons. All other pieces are placed on the first rank.

Choosing Sides
Perhaps the main reason why xiangqi seems to be more civilized than mahjong is because mahjong is usually associated with gambling—and everyone is aware of the potential evils of gambling. But it's not just placing bets. While both are strategy games, mahjong has a huge aspect of luck as one is literally taking a gamble on what the next tile is. Xiangqi, on the other hand, is a controlled game, the outcome completely in the players' hands. So while there can be a true Chinese chess champion, it's argued that a mahjong champion just isn't the same, as even the best player can lose if he or she has bad starting tiles.

Regardless, whether you enjoy the risky thrills of mahjong or the intense concentration needed for xiangqi, it seems our obsession with these ancient games will keep this piece of living history alive and well.