This mahjong revival is headed to a park near you

Mahjong — the beloved tile strategy game that crosses both cultural and age barriers — is coming to a park near you thanks to a partnership between L.A. County Parks and Recreation and a local club, Common Ground Mahjong.

‘Another language we speak’

Rowland Heights resident and mahjong enthusiast Jay Zhao started Common Ground Mahjong about a year ago after finding they had to wait too long between game meetups.

“It brings people from all different backgrounds together. I’ve met folks that I would not have encountered outside of those mahjong clubs. … In a way it’s another language that we speak,” Zhao said.

The details 

Zhao’s new Mahjong in the Parks series will take place at open spaces from Arcadia to Culver City, with 15 tables and enough room for 60 people to play together. And one thing to note: the Mahjong in the Parks events will be for 13-tile Hong Kong style.

The series is a collaboration between Common Ground, the Matilija Collective and L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation.

New players welcome

Zhao says everyone will be welcome at the park meetups, and there will be space for about 20 people to learn the game at the events, too. Just don’t be surprised if you come away from an event with a new friend.

“It’s always nice to see people move their connections from just like ‘Oh you’re just someone I play Mahjong with,’ to ‘Hey you’re someone I’m going to see outside of these events. Let’s go hiking, let’s go to a museum,’” Zhao told LAist.