Write@Home
Winter 2015

Homeland

mahjong tiles on wooden table

Mahjong bring back memories of the old days. As I remembered, my mom used to play mahjong when I was a child. it has been about ten years, but this is still in my mind. Mahjong is the important part of the old Hong Kong. Recently, the Government has included this local culture as our intangible cultural heritage. As we know, Hong Kong is an international city and developed very well. Also, we are under the influence of Western and Eastern culture. Because we have a lot of different cultures such as, Hollywood movies, Korean pop culture, Japanese food, and American TV dramas. Unfortunately, our culture has started to lose gradually. The government should promote and keep our cultural heritage, so that our history and memory can be protected and preserved for the next generation.

Mahjong was a famous game among Hong Kong people of the last century. We could often hear the sound of playing Mahjong along the corridor of public housing. Also, there are some TV game shows we can play which is Mahjong game and it has been attracting millions of audience. Dunging the Chinese New Year, people play Mahjong with family, friends and relatives because it is a symbol of solidarity. However, Mahjong has been disappearing from our daily lives because we can choose other entertainment instead of Mahjong. However, Mahjong is our collective memory of the old Hong Kong. Therefore, Mahjong is worth protecting.

I suggest government to promote Mahjong by making short films about Mahjong. As for Mahjong, the Government can organize a “Mahjong Contest” in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where Hong Kong people can participate and play Mahjong as contestants to win the championship. It should aim to promote Mahjong culture in our community.