Confucius and the three dragons
One of the most repeated stories says Confucius invented mahjong around 500 BCE, and that the three dragon tiles represent his cardinal virtues. A related story claims the game's name means "sparrow" because Confucius loved birds. These tales were popular in 1920s Western mah-jongg books, where an ancient pedigree helped sell sets.
There is no evidence for any of it. No ancient text mentions the game, and the earliest firm references date to the second half of the nineteenth century. The stories are best enjoyed as part of the game's folklore, not its history.
"It is a matching solitaire game"
Many people first meet the name through mahjong solitaire, the computer game in which you remove matching pairs of tiles from a stacked layout. That game was created for computers in the early 1980s and borrows only the tile pictures. It has nothing to do with the four-player game's rules, strategy or scoring.
If someone says they "play mahjong every night on their phone", it is worth asking which one they mean. Real four-player mahjong is also widely available online, from Japanese riichi apps to American Mah Jongg sites, but it is a very different experience from tile-matching.
"It is only a gambling game"
Mahjong has long been associated with gambling, and in many places it is still played for money. That association led to bans and restrictions at various times in China and elsewhere. But points-only play is just as old, and today clubs, schools, tournaments and online leagues routinely play without stakes.
The game's scoring systems were developed partly to settle payments, which is why they can look complicated. Played for points, the same scores simply decide who wins the evening. Whether to play for money is a social choice, and local law decides what is permitted.
"It is an old person's game"
In the United States mahjong was long associated with older Jewish women's groups, and in China with retirees in parks. Both images are real, but they are only part of the story. University riichi clubs, bar nights, boutique tile sets and online leagues have brought in a wave of younger players since the late 2010s.
Researchers have also become interested in mahjong as a mentally demanding social activity for older adults, which has added to its reputation. The simplest truth is that it is a game for anyone who enjoys pattern-spotting, memory and good company.
