Their entire story and business idea revolved around insulting and belittling the Chinese origin of Mahjong - boring, confusing, embarrassing, and out of date. The product itself wasn’t the issue, it’s what they said to sell their product that was so offensive The Japanese have several designs of their own. Mahjong tiles have been reinvented, redesigned, and transformed into cards. “We made sure to simplify the things that can confuse a new player.” “The struggle is real when reading the old-school tiles, especially for new players.” (Ironically, their color schemes made some characters almost impossible to decipher.) “She searched for a unique set of her own, one she could proudly bring to friends’ homes to play, but came up empty.” “The venerable game needed a respectful refresh.” Intentional or not, every word in their copy insulted the aesthetics of the Chinese tiles. Here are snippets of their original website copy. Fortunately, we have Twitter as our archival resource. Since the launch of The Mahjong Line, the only copy on their website is their apology. The Mahjong Line’s website, redesign of the tiles, and pricing strategy were problematic but they were not the reasons for the backlash and accusations of cultural appropriation - it was their copy. Given that their intent was to bring back American Mah Jongg, the erasure of China’s history could have been ignored if they didn’t go on to insult it. There was no mention of China or the Qing Dynasty but rather they focused on the American history of Mahjong. Instead, they erased China’s origins from the game entirely. A deep history into the game wasn’t necessary, a simple acknowledgment that Mahjong originated from China probably would have been good enough. When you’re trying to sell something that you have no cultural background in, the right thing to do is to pay homage to its origins. Whether it’s the American version, the Japanese version, or otherwise, Mahjong is inherently Chinese. Rather than painted on ivory white tiles, the vibrancy of each stroke, symbol, and character was lost in garishly neon backdrops. The tiles vastly differed from the Chinese originals. The Minimal Line: Neon Purple Release The Minimal Line: Kelly Green Release The Minimal Line: Ceylon Blue Release The Botanical Line: Paris Pink Release The Cheeky Line: Skylight Blue Release The Mahjong Line has five sets of designs, which you can choose based on a quick seven-question quiz (I’m a Minimal Gal myself). The founders of The Mahjong Line decided the traditional white tiles were too monochromatic and didn’t “come close to mirroring their style and personality.” They decided that the tiles needed a refresh to entice and modernize the game for new players. Each character and symbol is etched and painted on an ivory white tile. Typically, only three colors are used - red for luck, blue for the sky, and green for the earth. The designs and colors are bold and meaningful. The design and symbolism of each Mahjong tile have important significance to the Chinese culture. It’s important to point out that The Mahjong Line’s intention was to modernize American Mah Jongg, not Chinese Mahjong. The American version uniquely differs from the Chinese version but the tiles used have remained largely unchanged from the original. While Mahjong is inherently a Chinese game - the American variation of Mahjong (also referred to as Mah Jongg) was adapted for America when Joseph Park Babcock introduced it to the United States in the 1920s. You can’t be afraid to take what you need but you also need to know when to give. The game appears rather quick-paced and there isn’t time to think - but if you’re well versed, you know that the game is about give and take. Created in the 1800s and originating from the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912), it’s an elegant game of tradition, cycles, and strategy.Īs players stack, discard and collect tiles for their sets, there is a certain ebb and flow to the game, and one can’t help but be mesmerized by the poetic nature of the game. Not many games have stood the test of time like Mahjong. But more importantly, it’s a game filled with Chinese heritage and culture. The swooshing of the tiles on the velvety green table is mesmerizing, as are the hands doing the swooshing. A game passed down from their ancestors and their ancestors before them. That’s the sound of Chinese tradition being played across generations, a game that grandkids can play with their grandparents.
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