One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This mahjong revival is headed to a park near you
Stacking the tiles before a game.
(
Fiona Ng
/
LAist
)
Listen
0:34
A new mahjong series at LA County parks
Robert Garrova has more.
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.
Sponsored message
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.
You can go:
The first meetup will be at 5 p.m. July 8 at Arcadia Park:
405 S Santa Anita Ave, Arcadia
For a list of all the meetups, head over to Common Ground Mahjong’s website.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
