Digital Media Center
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Gate 61
Box 870370
920 Paul Bryant Drive
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0370
205-348-6644

© 2026 Alabama Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Free performance tickets! Sponsored by our partners. Click here to see active APR Giveaways.

Why Mahjong is surging in popularity

Clients play mahjong at adult daycare Hong Fook Center on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Oakland, Calif. (Juliana Yamada/AP)
Juliana Yamada/AP
Clients play mahjong at adult daycare Hong Fook Center on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, in Oakland, Calif. (Juliana Yamada/AP)

The U.S. is experiencing a surge of interest in Mahjong, the Chinese four-player, tile-based strategy game. Yelp data shows that searches for Mahjong clubs are up almost 4,500% since last year.

For more on the game and its growing popularity, Here & Now‘s Indira Lakshmanan speaks to Nicole Wong, author of “Mahjong: House Rules from Across the Asian Diaspora” and founder of The Mahjong Project.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2026 WBUR

Here & Now Newsroom
News from Alabama Public Radio is a public service in association with the University of Alabama. We depend on your help to keep our programming on the air and online. Please consider supporting the news you rely on with a donation today. Every contribution, no matter the size, propels our vital coverage. Thank you.