Mahjong Illustrated (The Sound of Sparrows)

Beautifully produced in traditional Chinese binding with 125 illustrations and photographs, Mahjong Illustrated will fascinate anyone interested in one of the world’s most widely-played games.

The clickety-clack of mahjong tiles being mixed by a group of friends is one of the most soothing and distinctive sounds found across East Asia and, increasingly, North America. First developed in southern China in the early 19th century, mahjong – meaning ‘sparrow’ – is a fun and popular game that tasks you with solving a tile-matching puzzle before you run out of moves. Played by four people using 144 tiles, mahjong is not just a game of luck; it requires strategy, pattern recognition, and an understanding of the other players’ tactics. Mahjong Illustrated introduces this highly engaging and competitive game, which helps develop concentration and mental agility while at the same time building relationships and a sense of community. The book is divided into chapters designed for the beginner, offering a brief background history, with introductions to the tiles, rules, playing the game, and popular variants and competitions. Find out how to shuffle and stack tiles to start the game; learn the difference between a kong and a pong and how this can win you points; understand the significance of the honour tiles, including the four winds and the three dragons; and find out what ‘winning from the wall’ means to complete a ‘legal hand’.