The Mahjong Project

Who was most likely to win the mahjong game in Laufey’s “Madwoman” music video? An investigation… 🕵🏻‍♀️ …and yes I fumbled through the editing process bravely to make this. But this is what happens when we feel represented in popular culture, it inspires us to be creative in new ways and gives us the opportunity to contribute to mainstream conversations with specific knowledge and experience. Thank you @laufey @warrenjfu and their teams for mahjong representation we can be proud of! If anyone is interested in the much longer version of this with notes that were cut for time…I have a google slides deck and a whole bunch of unedited voice memos… #mahjong #laufey #madwoman

My first byline for @voguemagazine writing about how mahjong brought me closer to my Chinese heritage, family history, and Asian diasporic community. Please check it out! 🔗 in bio.

Since 2018, I’ve envisioned the book I wanted to write about mahjong, and this past year I actually got to do it! So here’s a sentence I’m still finding hard to believe, but nevertheless is true. My book, MAHJONG: HOUSE RULES FROM ACROSS THE ASIAN DIASPORA, is *now available* for pre-order, and will be hitting shelves in April 2025!  Mahjong is played all over the world, in as many styles as there are dialects of a language. Talking about mahjong immediately opens up conversations about family, identity, and diaspora. People hold tight to their mahjong house rules like cherished family recipes, and yet in both cases so often the specifics aren’t written down.  Like a cookbook, my book is instructional and also infused with personal narrative. Flipping through the pages, you’ll see colorful mahjong tiles lovingly photographed and illustrated. There are strategy tips, game history, and fun facts about mahjong design. Also, a snack guide for when you’re hosting a mahjong night! I collaborated with such incredibly talented people to bring this book to life. MAHJONG features photography by Andria Lo @aweilo , illustrations by Helen Shewolfe Tseng @wolfchirp and book design by Lizzie Allen @lizzzie.alllen . I owe a huge thanks to my editor Carolyn Insley @cinsley and the team at Hardie Grant @hardiegrantusa  for the opportunity and trust in my vision for this project. My book is a celebration of community, culture, and friendly competition, and I can’t wait for people to check it out and hopefully use it to connect more deeply with friends and loved ones over this very special game.  You can find the link to pre-order MAHJONG in my bio, or request it from your local independent bookstore! Thank you!! #mahjong #booknews #🀄️ #bookcoverreveal

Spring schedule! I'm popping up all month at public libraries around the Bay Area to give author talks and host mahjong with local community partners. We celebrate AAPI heritage year-round here, but especially in May there's no shortage of ways to show support for the AAPI community. Please join us - event details and links to RSVP in bio! 📍Sat. 5/9 - Author talk and panel discussion hosted by the Filipino American Center @sfpubliclibrary (Main Branch), with @jaenarae @aureena & @dyannaluna . Chinese and Filipino mahjong to follow, with books from @onwaverly 📍Th. 5/14 - Author talk & mahjong at @berkeleypubliclibrary (North Branch) with books from @mrsdalloways 📍Sat. 5/16 - Book signing with @asianambooks at the Tiburon AAPI Heritage Festival @tiburonchamber 📍Th. 5/28 - Author talk & mahjong at the San Mateo Public Library @smclibraries 📍Mon. 6/8 - Author talk & mahjong @pleasanthilllibrary 📍Sat. 6/20 - Author talk & mahjong at the Bernal Heights Public Library, part of @sfpubliclibrary 's Summer Stride program. Full event schedule at themahjongproject.com/events Slides 2-3 from my event last year at the @asianbranchlibrary in Oakland Chinatown!

Join us Saturday 4/25 from 1-4pm in downtown Oakland for an afternoon of mahjong and cultural celebration @otk_eats , hosted by @oaklandbloom & @themahjongproject ! Enjoy open play mahjong (some instruction available) and bolo bao (pineapple bun) tasting sets from local Chinatown bakeries. In the spirit of this month’s Qingming Festival (also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day), we’ll have a seasonal menu from Chef Kit @mandd_food showcasing special Qingming dishes and a community altar where attendees can honor ancestors and loved ones who have passed. We’ll also have a curated book selection from @moments.co.op including signed copies of Nicole’s book. Link in bio for more details, full menu & rsvp! 🌸

It’s too daunting of a task to try sum up the past year in one carousel, so here’s a bit of an assortment of mahjong moments plus a promise to share more organized recaps (or just more assortments) in the coming weeks! Happy book birthday to ‘Mahjong: House Rules from Across the Asian Diaspora’ and thank you to everyone who has read it, shared it with someone, displayed it in their home or shop, attended one of my events, partnered with me to host an event, facilitated an author talk, subscribed to my newsletter, or simply follows me here! Launch day cake from @onwaverly who — fun fact — were the top-selling indie bookseller of ‘Mahjong’ in the whole country!

I often feel self-conscious about posting press clips and media coverage of my work, because it’s ingrained in me that bragging (or being perceived as doing so) is an unlikeable quality. But the past week has been a big reminder that here on social media, information is fractured and moves in mysterious ways. It’s up to us to celebrate our own successes, write our own stories, take up space for our communities, or else risk invisibility. For the scrapbook — clips and quotes from the past few months. Thanks to: @mercnews @gracehwanglynch @scmp_postmag @victoriachanimal @bostoncollegemagazine @envimediaco @goodhousekeeping Links to the full stories in bio.

In the heart of LA, Mahjong Underground has turned the traditional game into its own language. 🀄️ It has become an access point into oral history, tracing back family history through its various dialects and variations. Here at the table, hierarchies soften and connection is made through shared play.⁠ ⁠ EnVi spoke to Nicole Wong, founder of the Mahjong Project & organizers Finnegan Wong-Smith, Jaimie Wan, Matt Willard, and Cayla Zhang about reclaiming their heritage through this folk tradition & building community across generations. 💚⁠ ⁠ Read the full interview by Ann Estaris in the 🔗 in our bio.

Encounter with a vintage treasure

Join The Mahjong Project Sunday March 29th for an afternoon of outdoor mahjong at Prescott Market in West Oakland (2-5pm), in collaboration with Woo Can Cook! TICKET LINK IN BIO! Timed with Woo Can Cook’s Taiwanese Sunday brunch series, and immediately following the West Oakland Farmers Market (10-2pm), come and enjoy delicious food while playing mahjong. Beginner-friendly, with a few designated tables for experienced gameplay. Instructors (including Nicole Wong, author and founder of The Mahjong Project) will be on-hand for guidance in Chinese and Taiwanese styles of play. You are also welcome to BYO mahjong set! Purchase a ticket for priority seating. Please note that a ticket does not guarantee you a seat at a mahjong table for the entire duration of the event. TICKET LINK IN BIO!

Lunar New Year celebrations & highlights from the past month! Some I had a hand in hosting, and others I had the pleasure of simply attending. Mahjong is a way to connect more deeply with my community — with people, places, past and present. Feeling lucky to be a part of it all. 🐎 Moderating a panel discussion @milibrary with the legendary writer Maxine Hong Kingston @thewomenwarrior and other inspiring scholars, journalists & activists from orgs like @caamedia @stopaapihate 🏮Lantern Festival in Oakland Chinatown hosted by @oaklandbloom @stickyriceclub 🍸mahjong & qipao fashion show hosted by @peonyseafoodrestaurant featuring @sashashouseoakland 🔥 Neo Lunar curated and hosted by @itsyangsheng @taiwanesenoodles featuring @13orphanslounge @pengyousf @cutfruitcollective and many other friends! 🖼️ mahjong pop-up at ThursDates @oaklandmuseumca with music by @djladyryan ⛸️ okay not technically mahjong or LNY related…but celebrating hometown hero Alysa Liu @alysaxliu at her welcome home rally! (and in this video, while watching a lion dance!)

About last night at ThursDates! From mahjong moves to museum grooves, the Museum was buzzing with energy! 🀄️✨ Shoutout @themahjongproject for the competition that filled @town_fare , while @djladyryan kept the beats smooth and the vibes immaculate. 🎶 In the galleries, @sketchboard.co brought creativity with live figure drawing, featuring stunning burlesque and drag moments from @nellapuddin and @q.the.fool . 💃🏽🎨 Missed it? Catch us next week for live music, in-gallery talks, basketry workshops, handmade goods, and so much more! 🎟 Get your tickets at the link in bio! #ThursDATESatOaklandMuseum #Oakland #OaklandEvents #FigureDrawing #Drag #TheOaklandMuseum