Ma Jiang

Ma Jiang (Mahjong) is a four-player game that originated in China. Although some have claimed that Confucius invented the game in 500 B.C. it is more likely that it evolved from the ancient card game 'Ma Diao.' Each player is dealt 13 or 16 tiles. At each turn a player must draw and discard a tile. The object is to create melds (groups of tiles) and a pair. There are several different types of tiles in a Ma Jiang set including Bamboo tiles, Dragon tiles, Flower tiles, etc. During the Cultural Revolution Ma Jiang and all other forms of gambling were banned. After restrictions were eased Ma Jiang regained its widespread popularity.