HONG KONG — Dubbed as the quintessence of Chinese culture, playing mah-jong is in the Lunar New Year repertoire and itself a popular pastime in Hong Kong. Mah-jong tiles also have its historical values, with this time-honoured handicraft having witnessed the evolution of popular culture through ages.
As part of its effort to perpetuate local culture, during this Lunar New Year, shopping center Temple Mall will take guests on a wonderful journey into “The Art of the Game: Behind Mah-jong Tiles.” Jointly organized with “The Art of Mah-jong Craft” studio, the campaign narrates the origin and evolution of the acclaimed intangible cultural heritage of mah-jong tile-making. On display will be a precious collection of exhibits, including the rare century-old mah-jong tiles hand-carved out of ox bones; Japanese bamboo-backed tiles dating back to the 1970s; and hand-carved sets from Hong Kong whose production has already ceased, alongside rare catalogues and books offering a multifaceted look into the art of the game.
Besides the exhibition and Insta-worthy installations themed on mah-jong, there is also a set of “Temple Mall X The Art of Mah-jong Craft” Mah-jong tiles designed exclusively for the event by “The Art of Mah-jong Craft” studio. Taking cues from traditional Chinese festivities as well as landmarks in Wong Tai Sin, the suite pushes the aesthetic and craftsmanship envelope of mah-jong tiles with a modern palette to usher in the new year.
Evolution of mah-jong revealed in 20+ precious types
The charm of this ancient game will be decoded culturally and aesthetically in the quadripartite Mah-jong Art exhibition on 1/F Temple Mall North. The show comes courtesy of “The Art of Mah-jong Craft”, the studio founded by Ricky Cheung Sing-chung, one of Hong Kong’s last mah-jong craftsmen, and his daughter Karen Aruba, an illustrator.
The studio strives to both showcase the sophisticated beauty of the mah-jong craft and ultimately promote it across the world. It will be a fascinating exploration into the creation of tiles through the ages and in different materials, such as paper, cow bones, bamboo, wood, brass and bakelite. It will shed light on the origin of mah-jong and how it gradually transformed from a card game into today’s formats, and from a suit of only nine numerals into a codified system of Dots, Strings, Characters and Honours, together with eight Flowers and Seasons tiles.
There are myriad variations in the game of mah-jong. In addition to the Cantonese style, the exhibition showcases an array of versions across the world: the Malaysian style with an extra set of animal tiles; the Vietnamese and American versions with 16 and eight joker tiles respectively; and the Japanese mah-jong characterized by the “Dora” (bonus) tiles. What’s more, you can learn about the production process of tiles from crafting to polishing via the tools and machines on show, in addition to discovering stories behind Fuk Hing Lung Mah-jong Factory and the glorious past of mah-jong-manufacturing industry in Hong Kong. Be dazzled by the rare vintage hand-carved mah-jong tiles and the set designed by Karen and hand-carved by Master Cheung for the event, with the eight Flower tiles featuring the cultural and storied motifs of Wong Tai Sin, showing the inheritance of craftsmanship.
Three-meter tall mah-jong installation, Love in a Tile DIY Fai Chun stickers & “CNY Paper Art” Workshop
For those wishing to gain the upper hand in maj-jong games, they can circle the three-meter tall giant mah-jong installation at Temple Mall North from December 30, 2022 to February 5, 2023. Those who want to spread the luck to their loved ones can do so with one-of-a-kind Fai Chun stickers created in the “Love in a Tile” WhatsApp sticker booth. There they can combine their own image with auspicious messages and frames. They can also create festive home decorations at the “Chinese New Year Paper Art: Handcrafted Fai Chun” workshop jointly presented by Temple Mall and Zhan Xiao Quan.
