Hong Kong Mahjong

Hong Kong Mahjong is a 4-player tile game. Build a hand of 4 sets and 1 pair (14 tiles) to win.

1. Tiles: 136 tiles — Characters (一–九), Bamboo (①–⑨), Circles (①–⑨), 4 Winds (東南西北), 3 Dragons (中發白).
2. Deal: Each player receives 13 tiles. The dealer draws an extra tile and must discard first.
3. Your turn: Click Draw to take a tile from the wall, then click a tile to select it and click Discard.
4. Sets: Pung (碰) = 3 identical tiles · Kong (槓) = 4 identical tiles · Chow (吃) = 3 consecutive same-suit tiles.
5. Claiming discards: When an opponent discards, you may claim it for a Pung, Kong, Chow (left player only), or a winning hand. Click the claim buttons that appear.
6. Winning: Complete 4 sets + 1 pair with 14 tiles. Click Win (糊) to declare. Minimum 1 fan required.
7. Scoring: Score = 2^fan points. Self-draw win (+1 fan) means all 3 opponents pay. Win on discard means only the discarding player pays.
8. Fan bonuses: All Pung = 3 fan · Full Flush = 7 fan · Half Flush = 3 fan · Dragon pung = 1 fan · Self-draw = 1 fan.

Mahjong (麻將) originated in China during the Qing dynasty and spread rapidly across East and Southeast Asia in the early 20th century. The Hong Kong (Cantonese) variant is among the most widely played, characterized by its elegant simplicity compared to the complex yaku systems of Japanese Riichi mahjong.

In Cantonese culture, mahjong is far more than a game — it is a social ritual. Families gather around the table during Chinese New Year, festivals, and reunions. The clicking of tiles, the calls of "吃！碰！槓！", and the drama of a well-timed 糊 (win declaration) are as much a part of the experience as the strategy itself.

The game's four winds mirror the cosmological importance of cardinal directions in Chinese philosophy, while the three dragons — Red (中, "center"), Green (發, "prosperity"), and White (白, "pure") — connect to deeper traditions of luck, fortune, and balance. To play mahjong is to participate in a living piece of cultural heritage shared by hundreds of millions across the world.