Mahjong Timeline
Lili ChinWelcome to a photo timeline of our Mahjong life! If you don't play Mahjong and have no interest in buying Mahjong merch, it's not too late to start. :)
How it started
Around ten years ago, Nathan's friend, Stan Young (RIP) taught us how to play mahjong. He was the only person we knew who knew how to play.
Around this time, I created a print: Dogs Playing Mahjong which I gifted to Stan. I followed this up with a second version of Dogs Playing Mahjong which was exhibited in a group show at Leanna Lin's Wonderland.
I still sell this print on my website.
Madam Ling's Mahjong Club
When Nathan and I got married and moved to the San Gabriel Valley in 2021, a friend introduced us to "Madam Ling's" private mahjong classes at her home in Monterey Park. Sharlene was a pro who had taught mahjong before. We learned Hong Kong Rules mahjong and how to score points.
Sidenote: Sharlene was responsible for connecting me with Pace LA's small business grant. Read more about this here.
Despite Nathan owning 5 mahjong sets and a table, it was still hard to find people to play with on a regular basis. Also, we were spending most of our time playing board games.
Our first Mahjong Party
In the summer of 2025, the book "Mahjong" by Nicole Wong was published. We almost went to the book signing and mahjong event in Koreatown (organized by East Never Loses) but the date coincided with LFG Con.
In any case, this amazing book inspired us to host a mahjong party at our house so we could teach our board gaming friends how to play. We had three tables,11 people and lots of snacks. It became clear to me that the biggest obstacle to learning mahjong for most beginners is reading Chinese characters and none of our tiles had numbers on them. So I created a How to Play booklet (free download) with a reference for Chinese numbers and rules.
Check out our friends' board gaming podcast: The Five By!
The Mahjong Renaissance
In the same summer of 2025, mahjong events exploded all over LA. We played mahjong at night clubs, at an ice cream shop, a boba cafe, bookstore parking lots, cocktail bars, and community centers. We alternated between 3-point-minimum games with advanced players and Chicken Hand games with beginners.
Jianghu, 626 Ice Cream, General Lee's, HOP cafe, MPK Langley Center
At one event, we met Jay Zhao who told us they were starting their own mahjong event at 626 Ice Cream in Arcadia and to bring our own mahjong table and set. This was a very appealing prospect because there are usually more people than there are tables available, and this meant that we would be guaranteed a seat. There was also delicious ice cream.
Common Ground Mahjong
Although mahjong was at first, something we did for fun (and it still is), it became so much more.
Common Ground Mahjong's mission to build a diverse community and fundraise for All Power Books and Matilija Collective, their dedication to social and environmental justice, and support of local AAPI artists and businesses took these mahjong events to another level. They encouraged me to bring my Fuera ICE and anti-fascist stickers and merch to events and I was grateful for the opportunity to do so.
I also made some punny Mahjong cat stickers.
Cats and Mahjong
In late 2025, I created a Cats Playing Mahjong illustration to bring to these events. (Where else would I find customers who would understand these images?) This illustration features our cats, Mambo and Shimmy and there is a SELF-PICK winning hand. Take note that the tiles are all accurate and that these cats are not playing Chicken Hand like the dogs were. :)
You can buy both cats and dogs mahjong prints on my website and also from Common Ground or Matilija Collective.
Free-Spirited Mahjong
Free Spirited Lounge in Alhambra specializes in creative alcohol-free cocktails, and they became the home of Common Ground on Mahjong Thursdays. This is where I first started vending-while-playing-mahjong.
I don't normally mix business with socializing/play, so this was all a bit strange to me at first, but in a good way.
Fighting Data Centers
At Free-Spirited Lounge, my making art and playing mahjong worlds collided in the best possible way.
After drawing Free-Spirited Lounge's cocktail menu (catch a glimpse of this on on KTLA!), I drew a Chinese Dragon crushing a data center for SGV Progressive Action.
Yes, we actually learned about Monterey Park's secret data center project at a mahjong event. My dragon image was used on informational handouts and protest signs for rallying against data centers in Monterey Park.
We won!
The battle isn't over. If you live in MPK, please vote YES on NDC in June to ban data centers permanently. Also follow NO DATA CENTER SGV for actions we can take to fight against data centers in all our neighboring cities and areas! The green dragon says YES on measure NDC, when you vote on June 2nd, 2026.
Other variants of the game
As presented in Nicole Wong's book - Mahjong has travelled the world with Asian diaspora communities, and there are many regional variants.
Although the Hong Kong variant is what we play most of all, we've also had the pleasure of learning Taiwan Rules Mahjong with LA Mahjong League and Pinoy Mahjong with Mahjong Sosyal. Update 4/25: And Japanese Mahjong/Riichi!
Dogs and Mahjong
Over in the Bay area, my dog-trainer friend Kiem Sie who teaches and plays mahjong around town had been asking me to make more mahjong merch. Specifically DOGS.
These two Mahjong-themed pins launched right before Chinese New Year, sold out fast and have been restocked. You can buy them here.
Kiem also has some of these pins for sale, and you can usually find her teaching mahjong at Teance Fine Teas (Berkeley).
Mahjong Bonding
The best part of this mahjong community are the new social connections we make.
With Cindy and Steven whom we first met at Lucky Bamboo;
With Jay (Common Ground Mahjong) and Janet (SekWu Mahjong)
And bonding with family! When we stayed with my aunty in Singapore last November, she asked us "Do you know how to play mahjong?" We said OF COURSE! She wanted to play every night and she won every game!
Mahjong is truly intergenerational.
Today, we are still playing mahjong every week and we travel everywhere with a set, a table and 4 stools in the back of our car. The new license plates were Nathan's idea. :)
Remember, you can always order items from my website and pick your order up directly from me if you are in L.A.. Use the code PICKUP-LA at checkout to waive shipping fees!
I also wholesale (50% discount) many items on my website for resale. Feel free to either order on Faire or directly from me.
- Lili
