I'm Gregg Swain, and I write posts for this website using the internet alias of Kuan Yin. I am the co-author of the book:
Mah Jongg The Art of the Game, published by Tuttle in November 2014.
In connection with the book, I have given over 100 talks about Mahjong art and the history of the game. Please contact me if you would like me to give a talk in your area.
I have the ability to give powerpoint talks remotely-I would be in my NYC office and I could address your group using a business meeting website. Please contact me if you would like to learn more about this.
My most recent book is one on how to play the National Mah Jongg League's style of the game. It's called American Mah Jongg for Everyone, co-written with Toby Salk, with fabulous illustrations by Woody Swain. It's available in bookstores and online. Mah Jongg, played online, certainly helped me get through these last couple of years. If you don't know how to play yet, now is a great time to learn.
The beautiful set featured in the banner for this year is Winslow, by Ozark Mah Jongg.
Here is some press coverage:
This is a link to a talk I gave at the Manchester Community Library in Vermont in summer 2022. I discussed the history of the game, its worldwide popularity, the art, and why the game is one of the best activities people can do to exercise their brains.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ-P8fzUFx4
China Global Television Network interviewed me:
China News did a video interview, which aired on December 19, 2016. You can see it here:
http://www.newschinamag.com/newschina/articleDetail.do?article_id=1074§ion_id=29&magazine_id=
Recorded at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in NYC on October 26th, 2016. The Google translation of the Chinese seemed way off, but it is a fun interview.
http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/international/art/20161029/19816127
Here are some clips of the talk that night. China Institute sponsored me to give a talk about the Chinese Tradition of Mahjong, and at the end Melissa Martens Yaverbaum, curator of Project Mah Jongg, and I chatted about the game.
https://www.
https://www.youtube.
Sami Sparber from Axios included me in an article about Mahjong. I had to copy it here as the link didn't allow the complete read.
All topics
Sep 28, 2025
-Teaching mahjong is the hot new gig
Give a friend a mahjong lesson, and you might score a free dinner. Teach mahjong, and you've got a career.
Why it matters: As the centuries-old Chinese game finds new fans, instructors are in high demand, with some turning lessons into thriving businesses.
What we're hearing: Mahjong fits into a broader embrace of hands-on hobbies that have been popular with grandparents, like pickleball and needlepoint, says Alyssa Gross, founder of a group that's taught over 2,500 people in Chicago.
- It's also become a way for younger Asian Americans to connect with their heritage, Nicole Wong, who hosts pop-ups across San Francisco, previously told Axios.
State of play: Enthusiasm has soared over the past couple of years, "coming from people who are just starting to hear about it more, [whether] that's from friends down South, influencers or bloggers they follow, or someone seeking an opportunity to be offline," Gross tells Axios.
- Her team of 10 instructors teaches private lessons and throws ticketed events each week.
In Huntsville, Alabama, Anna Ford teaches so much mahjong, including at-home lessons and family classes, that it's become her full-time job, she told WHNT-TV.
- In Houston, two friends run a company offering lessons for $60–$75 and $50 open plays, tournaments and kids camps, Axios previously reported.
The big picture: The game of tiles where players draw, discard and strategize toward a winning hand has long been a cherished pastime — first among Asian families and later embraced by Jewish communities.
- More than 40 variations are played worldwide, and "the game has been changing ever since it started," according to historian Gregg Swain.
- Still, some luxury American sets have sparked criticism: Tile company The Mahjong Line apologized in 2021 after redesigning traditional Chinese pieces with images critics said erased the game's history.
The latest: Mahjong events on Eventbrite jumped 179% between 2023 and 2024, fueled by Gen Z's appetite for "analog" connection, per the platform's data.
- The game is now reaching college campuses. Tile brand Oh My Mahjong brought sets to a Texas Christian University tailgate last month and plans to expand to other schools.
- Some sororities are also taking lessons.
Zoom out: American mahjong started on the East Coast, but in recent years it's surged in the South and Southeast and is spreading to California and the Midwest, instructors say.
- Many earn their living teaching in partnership with brands like The Mahjong Line, which counts 175 instructors across 33 states, founders Kate LaGere and Annie O'Grady tell Axios.
What we're watching: Teachers are using social media to recruit more players, sharing strategy tips and bougie tablescapes.
- TikTok posts with the hashtag #Mahjong surged nearly 25% over the past six months, data shared with Axios shows.
The bottom line: Mahjong has moved far beyond grandma's table.
There is exciting mahjong news at the bottom of this welcome page. Be sure to check it out!
This website, Mahjong Treasures allows people to see photographs of vintage Mahjong tiles, boxes and game accessories, and to develop a new appreciation for the art. Years ago when sets were carved, and painted, a great deal of thought was put into their designs, but today much of the subtle symbolism goes unnoticed. This website will help readers learn more about the images and meanings on the tiles and game accessories. We consult with experts in the field, hoping to bring as much scholarly insight as possible into the discourse. Influences of Chinese art on the tiles and boxes will be explored. And with your help, thoughts, and photographic submissions of sets and accoutrements, we will learn even more.
It is hoped this website will become an online resource and guide for Mahjong collectors and enthusiasts of the game. Perhaps others who are heretofore unfamiliar with the game will discover why so many of us love it so much.
In this first year and a half of the website, there have been over 75,000 views by people who found the site using a search engine. This does not count the people who are subscribers. People in over 110 countries have found their way to the site!
The Blog tab is where you will find posts about different sets, images, image interpretations, etc.
The Resource tab will take you to articles written about Mahjong and its history, and others that can help you to understand your own set. You can also find out where to turn if you need help fixing parts of your set to make it whole again. There is a general guide to help you understand how to estimate the value of your set, and key things to look for when determining its worth. There is a list of books many have found to be helpful for learning more about Mahjong and Chinese art.
A general note: the name Mah-Jongg was coined by Joseph P. Babcock for the games he marketed with the Mah-Jongg Sales Company of America. The game is known by many different names and spellings, including Majong, Mah Jong, Mah Jongg, Mahjong, Ma Cheung, the Game of Sparrows, and the Game of One Thousand Intelligences, to name just a few!
The Search box can help you locate posts on many different subjects. Type in what you want to read about, and chances are good you will find something that will be helpful.
The tiles in the above banner are from New York City My Fair Mahjong.
Announcing the newest addition to the world of Mahjong collecting: Mahjong is For the Birds.
It is the guide for anyone wondering about a vintage mahjong set and its value. For more information about the book, click here
I have been working with Redstone Games to develop a Mahjong Solitaire tile set. You can download the app and the Viridian tile set for free.
Mahjong Solitaire Redstone (iOS): https://itunes.apple.com/app/apple-store/id880605393?pt=48597800&ct=GreggPress&mt=8
Mahjong Solitaire Redstone (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.redstonegames.redstonemahjong
PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH IDEAS FOR POSTS, PHOTOGRAPHS OF UNUSUAL SETS, ETC.
THIS SITE NEEDS YOUR HELP TO CONTINUE SHOWCASING DIFFERENT MAHJONG SETS AND GAME ACCESSORIES
kuanyin@mahjongtreasures.com
Audrey
This site is WONDERFUL!!! Thank you for making it part of our lives!