What is the meaning of "Tubes, Bars, Ten Thousand, Southeast, Northwest, Hair, White, Center" in Mahjong?

Mahjong, also known as "sparrow" or "sparrow cards", etc., is an authentic national treasure, since its inception, has been one of the most popular and most popular recreational activities. Looking at my county Shenzhou, whether in the south or north, countryside or city, four people sitting around the scene of the big square city can be seen everywhere, eight hands busy eating touch the sound of shuffling endless, can be called the Chinese land a big landscape also.

The origin of mahjong can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty, and has been around for more than 1200 years. According to legend, the Tang Dynasty, Wu Zetian upholding the government period, Wei State Changle (now belongs to Henan Province) famous Zhang Sui, since early childhood intelligent, and then became a monk, take the name of the law said "a line". A line of the master of the six roots of purity, no distractions, all day long bitter meditation, enlightenment of the mechanism of all things, in astronomy, mathematics and other aspects of the many achievements, for China's ancient famous scientists. But although the Buddha's door is pure, but it is difficult to avoid the pain of loneliness. In order to relieve the monks of the usual loneliness and boredom, about the Tang Xuanzong Kaiyuan ten years (A.D. 722 years) around the time, a line of masters special preparation of a set of cards, for entertainment purposes. Its width of two inches, five inches long, printed on Wan, Suo, tube and other graphics. After the increase in the east, south, west, north, center, hair, white and other seven kinds of mahjong form is ready. Another said, mahjong is by the horse hanging tiles, dice and the Song Dynasty thirty-two Xuanhe tiles integration, development and become. The inventor was Wan Bingchao, an early Ming scholar at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, who worshipped the heroes of the Water Margin, so he used the 108 travel tiles as a metaphor for the 108 generals of Liangshan. During the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty, Chen Zhengyao from Ningbo changed to use bamboo and bone materials and defined the rules of the game in detail. Chen Zhengyao, who was born in Bugong and was familiar with English, was recognized as a cabinet minister with the title of Third Grade. Because of his love for horse hanging cards, he was well versed in the game. Sensing the inconvenience of paper tiles, he transformed the horse-hanging tiles into bamboo-bone mahjong in the third year of the Tongzhi reign (1864). In the great popularity of mahjong in the state of China, the credit is invaluable.

Kowan, Suo (bar), tube (cake), all for the ancient monetary unit. The tube, copper money, that is, the outer round square copper coins; 100 tube for the rope; and 100 rope for ten thousand. After the hard material replaced the original paper material, the cardboard gradually lost its mainstream status, but did not disappear. After the passage of time, the system materials and gradually by the bamboo, aggregate development for today's hard plastic or plexiglass, mahjong face a new look. But in some border areas or rural areas, there are still cardboard mahjong survives.

The game is a product of society and a microcosm of culture. The rules of the game of mahjong centrally reflect the spirit and values of Chinese culture. Four people, two by two, sit in front of the table and take the tiles according to the order, which is not only sequential, but also equal in opportunity. Unlike Western poker, where two people work together as a team and cooperate with each other, Mahjong is played on an individual basis. When playing mahjong, the top player is first before the bottom player, reflecting the Chinese social rule of sequential order; the top player can cut off the bottom player, reflecting the significant role of "potential". The fact that the next player can also touch and eat reflects the cultural concept of "the weak can also overcome the strong" and the unpredictable state of the world under special circumstances.

Mahjong techniques reflect the wisdom of the Chinese people. The most important thing is to look at the upper house, keep an eye on the lower house, prevent the opponent, and in addition to deciding on the basic method of play based on the cards you own, you also need to judge the status of the other three cards in order to decide to follow the cards, play the cards, and fish for the cards. Timely anticipation and speculation of the evolution of the situation, judging the advantages and disadvantages of the situation, is the key to victory. Mahjong seems to be simple and easy to learn, as long as the IQ is normal, usually a few minutes on the battlefield. But how to play out wisdom, when to eat, when to touch, when to feed eat, when to feed touch, and sometimes even to intentionally put guns and feed to avoid greater losses, can reflect the skill of the high and low, the depth of learning. The situation review time, when the opportunity to make a decision, is a master of a great effort, not ordinary people can be mastered. Therefore, mahjong is not only a test of foresight, but also a test of judgment, and both shape, sound, color, touch, and other sensory beauty, and therefore very attractive to the card players, often making this generation of sleep and food, all night long.

From a cultural point of view, the rules of mahjong reflect the style and philosophy of the Chinese people. If you want to win, you have to keep an eye on the upper house, keep an eye on the lower house, keep an eye on the opposite house, and if you want to get out of the house properly and have a basis for going in and out of the house, you have to figure out the situation of the cards in the hands of other people, and know your own self and know your enemy. Reflects the Chinese focus on interpersonal relationships, up and down communication, left and right, looking forward and backward, the two ends of the behavioral characteristics of the mouse. Unlike the western poker of two pairs, the line is clear, mahjong thinking about both solo, but also use each other, reflecting the spirit of traditional Chinese culture, "together but different", but also reflects the national line is not clear, the soldiers are not normal, ignoring the spirit of cooperation, emphasizing the role of the individual's personality orientation. The useful cards are kept and the useless cards are discarded, which further reflects the way of thinking that people are divided into useful and useless, high and low, noble and lowly in the minds of the Chinese. The useful ones are treasured, and the powerful ones are always taken care of; while the useless ones are disdained, and the disadvantaged ones are often discarded.

From the social function point of view, playing mahjong has a lot of benefits, on the elderly autism and a variety of chronic diseases, on the regulation of nervous tension, etc., all have a relieving effect. The Analects of Confucius" has a cloud: "eat all day long, no use, difficult to carry on! Do not have the game, for which is still virtuous." From this, Confucius also believes that the "game" is better than eating all day long, with no purpose in mind, and more than a few people who can not be carried on forever. Especially for the elderly, physical and mental strength are gradually declining, the disease increases, can not help but have the sigh of the thinning of the mountain, lonely and depressed feeling. Although there are flowers and fishing can cultivate the body and temperament, boxing walks can relax the bones, but in the mind of the sharpening of the brain to maintain, interpersonal exchanges, it is not complementary. If there are a number of people get together and perform the theater of the square city, during which the laughter and laughter, I eat, touch me, happy; winners and losers are hard to predict, but there is always hope, so that people's hearts to the future. No distinction between men and women, old and weak, no matter how noble or wise, the rules are the same, equal status. When the sun rises, you are in the mood for fun; when the moon is over, you can't forget to come back. The effect is very obvious in dispelling loneliness and killing time. Therefore, it has been widely spread and enduring. To this day, mahjong is not only in the sea, and spread to Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia and even as far as Europe and the United States, invincible, overwhelming.

In China, where amateur cultural and recreational life has always been underdeveloped, mahjong has always played a major role in family recreational activities. Of course, throughout the ages, there are many mahjong as a gambling tool and set up a profit-making person. However, we should not give up eating for fear of choking and regard mahjong as a forbidden thing. It is indeed worthwhile for all sectors of society, especially the sports sector, to study and explore how to promote the benefits and eliminate the disadvantages. After years of unremitting efforts from all walks of life, the State General Administration of Sports finally officially approved, on June 18, 1998, the use of mahjong as a competitive sport and formally compiled the Chinese Mahjong Competition Rules, which have been published by the People's Sports Publishing House. This is a key step for Mahjong to move from family to society and become an official sport competition program, which is of epoch-making significance. We believe that, as long as the management is strengthened, put energy, mahjong this national treasure will be more prosperous, to bring people endless happiness and enjoyment.