A Far East tradition has taken root in the Deep South, bringing together groups of women in an age-old game served with a side of fun and fellowship.
Story by Jennifer Kornegay, Photos by Morgan Duke
If you think mahjong is your grandmother’s game, you’re wrong. And even if you’ve given the game a whirl, if you’ve only played mahjong solitaire, staring at the glowing screen of your phone or tablet, you’re missing the authentic mahjong experience. Now, the game first developed in China in the 1800s is sweeping the South and taking on our region’s renowned hospitable nature with the addition of a social component: the mahjong party.
From Austin to Atlanta and everywhere in between, mahjong is replacing bridge and bunco as the game bringing ladies of all ages together. The renewed popularity of the pastime thrills Jane Hill Scott, an Auburn University alum who, after decades in Los Angeles, now lives in Albany, Georgia. First discovering mahjong on the West Coast, she’s played for almost a quarter century and now teaches it to others.
“I have such a passion for mahjong and am so happy to see...
