National Public Radio (NPR) recently reported on the renewed surge in popularity of Chinese Mah-Jongg in the United States, highlighting demand for Mah-Jongg sets made in Taixing, Jiangsu Province.

According to data, searches for "Mah-Jongg clubs" on U.S. online platforms surged by 4,467% year on year between September 2024 and August 2025, while searches for "Mah-Jongg lessons" increased more than eightfold over the same period.

Local workshops are seeing a flood of orders, and workers are stepping up production to meet demand. A customized Mah-Jongg set can sell for between 300 U.S. dollars and 400 U.S. dollars, and neither tariffs nor overseas shipping costs have dampened overseas consumers' enthusiasm. Since many overseas players cannot read Chinese characters, the tiles feature Arabic numerals and English labels.

Mah-Jongg first took the United States by storm in the 1920s. Joseph P. Babcock, an American businessman who had lived in Suzhou, recognized the potential and compiled an English-language rulebook. Known as the "Red Book," the handbook helped popularize Mah-Jongg in the United States and introduced the spelling "Mah-Jongg," which remains in use today.

Mah-Jongg has long extended its reach beyond the United States, establishing a global network of players. It was introduced to Japan early on, where it became even more popular than Go and shogi. Mah-Jongg also has a long history in Europe. In the 1920s, it spread from the United States to Europe, attracting enthusiasts among royalty and the aristocracy. In the English-speaking world, players have even borrowed the Chinese pronunciation, saying "I hu-ed" to declare a win.

搜索量同比暴涨4467%!麻将在美再走红

美国全国公共广播电台（NPR）近日关注到，产自江苏泰兴的中国麻将正在美国掀起新一轮热潮。

数据显示，2024年9月至2025年8月，美国线上平台麻将俱乐部搜索量同比暴涨4467%，麻将课程搜索量增幅超8倍。

当地工坊订单接踵而至，工人加紧赶制；一套定制麻将套装售价可达300至400美元，关税、远洋运输成本，都挡不住海外消费者的购买热情。考虑到海外玩家不识汉字，这些麻将牌面特意增加阿拉伯数字、英文标识。

麻将第一次引爆美国，是在20世纪20年代。曾在苏州生活的美国商人约瑟夫・巴布考克看到其中机遇，整理出版英文版麻将规则手册，这本手册被爱好者视作麻将“红宝书”，也确立了沿用至今的英文名称“Mah-Jongg”。

走出美国，麻将早已织就一张全球传播网络。日本很早就引入麻将，流行程度甚至超过围棋和日本传统的将棋。麻将在欧洲也有着悠久的历史。20世纪20年代，麻将经由美国传入欧洲，收获不少王室贵族爱好者。英语圈玩家甚至直接借用中文读音，以“I hu-ed”（我和了）表示胡牌。

翻译 | 黄健新
审校 | 郑奕玲
（羊城晚报·羊城派综合环球时报、人民日报、中国宁波网、中华网、财经头条）