Mahjong Tile Game Chinese Sparrows May 2026

Introduction: Why “Sparrows”? In the West, the game is universally known as Mahjong . However, in its homeland, China, the traditional name is Máquè (麻雀), meaning “Sparrow.” The name likely comes from the sound of tiles shuffling, which resembles the chattering of sparrows. While modern China uses májiàng (麻将) more frequently, the soul of the game remains that of the agile, quick-witted sparrow.