Mah Jong or the Game of the Four Winds is believed to have developed in the Ningpo region of China in the 1870s. Each region had its own rules with special hands and there were no written instructions or standardised rules. Most people learn to play by watching others. The Chinese game is fast, noisy and played for high stakes whereas the Western game is slower, not so complicated and there is little interest in gambling.

Perth u3a has been running a Mah Jong group for many years now and we decided early on to use the Third Age Trust rules, as explained in a u3a handbook which is easily obtainable.