By Grey Tang, ‘26
Click-clack. Click-clack.
When you’re passing through the language module on Wednesday evenings, you may hear a loud click-clacking noise from the Mandarin classroom. On occasion, this sound may be accompanied by horrific screeching reminiscent of a violent argument between a couple just barely past the honeymoon phase. If this is the case, congratulations! You’ve stumbled across a particularly thrilling game of Mahjong hosted by the Chinese Games Club.
Despite all current student members being subpar at Mahjong (they have yet to beat the club’s teacher sponsor), there is an undeniable eagerness behind the tournaments hosted each week. And it isn’t just Mahjong. Though it certainly is a prominent fixture within the club, other favourites include Doudizhu, Chinese Chess, and a Fujian variation of Bluff. Admittedly, the club is a bit of a nostalgic self-indulgent venture, given many members grew up watching their parents play. But it ends up being the initially-unfamiliar games that the club fixates on —before joining, the most enthusiastic members hadn’t played any of the games before. After all, the objective is to play and teach cultural Chinese board games to interested students, no matter what prior knowledge they have on the subject.
Not convinced yet? Here are some very legitimate testimonies from attendees:
“I was uplifted. I was filled with hope. The world is a better place now because of the Chinese Games Club.” – 松鼠
“This is the ultimate club. I felt like I was in heaven. If people come to this club, their inner souls will be purified. This is a club for the very fortunate.” – Anonymous
“Thank you for doing this, as it’s enormously important. If heaven is the way we saw it on Wednesday, count me in!” – 马先生
“I have found God.” – 折耳根
Doesn’t that sound pleasant? Doesn’t that sound enlightening? If you’re interested in learning about the rich cultural history of various iconic Chinese games or would like to try your hand at winning the weekly card tournaments hosted, head down to Room 021W in the language modular on Wednesday after school from 3:30-4:30 pm!