Mahjong, a Chinese tile-based game, is famed as a quintessential component of Chinese culture, and a medium for cultivating friendship and family bonds. It is also one of the most popular holiday entertainments at Lunar New Year. As an artifact of historical value, it has witnessed the evolution of popular culture, and is today still an integral part of Chinese culture.
To conserve the heritage of hand-carved mahjong tiles, Temple Mall and The Art of Mahjong Craft jointly present ‘The Art of the Game: Behind Mah-jong Tiles’ in the upcoming Spring Festival to highlight the story of the traditional craftsmanship of mahjong tiles, an intangible cultural heritage of Hong Kong. Located on the first floor of the North Wing of Temple Mall, The Art of Mahjong exhibition comprises four exhibition areas, and demonstrates the fascinating charm of mahjong from historical, cultural and aesthetic perspectives.
Founded by Ricky Cheung Sing Chung, one of very few mahjong hand-carving artisans left in Hong Kong, and artist Karen Aruba, The Art of Mahjong Craft strives to integrate the old tradition of mahjong craftsmanship with artistry, and promote this treasured traditional craft around the world.
“Mahjong craftsmanship originates from traditional design concepts and ideas, but we’ve adopted a novel approach in the presentation to make it more interesting and appealing for the younger generations,” Aruba explains. “Each tile is an art piece by itself with a personal character of the hand-carving artisan and has its own story to tell.”
Incorporating the characteristics of Hong Kong in the mahjong tiles helps convey the story of the city. “For me, reviving the tradition of mahjong craftsmanship is an exchange in arts, and mahjong design should not be confined to the patterns of the 144 tiles,” Aruba adds.
The event also showcases an array of mahjong with significant historical and cultural value, including the rare 100-year-old Carved Ox Bone Mahjong Tile, Japanese bamboo tiles from the 1970s, exquisite hand-carved mahjong from Hong Kong, as well as precious catalogs and books to lead visitors on a journey to explore the visual beauty of hand-carved mahjong tiles from multiple perspectives.
In addition to the mahjong exhibition with its many mahjong-themed check-in spots, The Art of Mahjong Craft proudly presents the distinguished ‘Temple Mall X The Art of Mahjong’ collection that depicts the elements of traditional Chinese festivals and landmarks of Wong Tai Sin, and features bright and contemporary colors of hand-painting on tiles. This collection helps you celebrate the Year of Rabbit with a refreshing new look!
The collection creatively illustrates the geographical characteristics of Wong Tai Sin.
“We’ve included the illustrations of Lung Cheung Road, Temple Mall with the North and South zones, Wong Tai Sin Temple, and more, with particular consideration for the choice of colors,” Aruba remarks. “Instead of using red, blue and green, the traditional mahjong colors, we’ve picked colors that represent the place.”
Aruba expresses her appreciation of the support from Temple mall, allowing the team to brainstorm some marvelous ideas and create unique memories. “By adding more in-depth elements in this exhibition, we hope the younger generation can experience the diverse charms of mahjong in a multidimensional manner,” she concludes.
