SHOULD MAHJONG BE PROMOTED IN HONG KONG?

Lee Ka Wing,Verna
14223384
GCPS1005, Session 30
19th March 2018
Mr. Henry Fung

Specific Purpose: To persuade the audience that you should learn how to play
mahjong
INTRODUCTION
(Attention getter) I. How was your last weekend? Did you spend it
meaningfully or you have just totally wasted it? So, if
you think that your free times are misspent and looking
for a hobby, I believe mahjong is the perfect activity for
you.
(Background) II. Mahjong used to be the symbol of family bonds in
(Statistics) Chinese society, yet, a new study found that only 6% of
the population in Hong Kong played mahjong once a
week in 2017, as opposed to 10% in 2012. More
importantly, only one in 50 young people play mahjong
weekly, down from one in 12 only five years ago. This
traditional Chinese table game is fading.
(Credibility) III. As a young person who has over 10 years’ experience
on playing mahjong, I can tell this activity is beneficial
in different aspect.
(Relate to IV. Since mahjong is one of the Chinese legacies and a
audience) beneficial activity, I believe teenagers in Hong Kong
(Reveal Purpose) should definitely learn this unique cultural feature.
(Preview Structure) V. My purpose, today, is to persuade you to learn how to
play mahjong under three reasons. These are:
A. Preserve the tradition and culture,
B. Way to socialize
C. Keep your mind sharp.
(Transition) [Let’s move on the first advantage – Preserve the tradition
and culture.]

BODY
I. Learning how to play mahjong can preserve the tradition and
culture.
A. Learn Chinese Culture through the game
(Definition) 1. Mahjong is a game of Chinese origin with a history
over 1000 years
2. The own meaning behind every tile
(Examples) a. The Red Dragon represents the legendary
creatures in Chinese mythology
b. The Green Dragon means wealth, simply the wish
of every Chinese family.

B. Protect the legacy

(Description) 1. It contains the intangible value and history of our
nation
(Categorical 2. It’s extremely important for us to protect our own
Deduction) legacy.
a. Mahjong is one of the Chinese legacies
i. we must protect mahjong
3. The best way to preserve this tradition is to spread it.
(Description) a. Essential for young people in Hong Kong to
learn how to play mahjong
i. Mahjong provides a more interesting and
solid culture experience to youngsters
ii. Best exemplifies the importance of culture
heritages

(Transition) [Mahjong does not only represent the tradition and culture
 that oneself should learn and preserve, it is also
advantageous for people to broaden social circles and
maintain close relationship with other participants.]

II. Way to socialize

A. Maintain a good relationship with others
(Description) 1. Mahjong provides a platform for participants to
communicate with others.
a. It usually played be four people
(Example) b. During festivals like Chinese New Year and at
wedding banquets, there is always a desk reserved
for this table game.
i. Every time, I will arrive few hours ahead of
the scheduled time, just to spend time
playing mahjong with my friends or cousins.

B. Broaden your social circles

1. Playing mahjong offers the chance for meeting new
people.
(Example) a. Students from Chinese University of Hong Kong
have established a mahjong study society.
i. Organizing different kind of mahjong
activity like daily games and competition.
ii. Having the common interest would be easier
for you to make new friends.
2. You can recognize ones’ real personality.
(Description) a. You will know whether s/he is grumpy when
they are losing the game.

(Transition) [We have already seen how Mahjong benefits our social life,
let’s move on to the next point – Keep your mind sharp.]
 III. Keep your mind sharp
A. Improve the cognitive development
(Definition) 1. Mahjong is a mentally stimulating game that requires
you to use multiple parts of your brain with logic,
risk-management, quick decision-making, pattern
recognition and problem solving.
(Example) a. You will know the mental complexity of this
game by its rule.
i. The matches and combinations of the game
is uncountable.
ii. It enhances your memory skills and helps to
keep your mind sharp, which makes you
react to situations and make decisions faster.
(Categorical 2. Researchers believe that cognitive development can
Deduction) be improved by playing cognitive game.
a. Mahjong is a cognitive game.
i. It can help with cognitive development.
(Comparison) 3. Compare to playing poker, which is also a cognitive
game, mahjong is more effective in improving
cognitive abilities.
a. The complexity of mahjong is much higher than
poker.
(Example) i. Pairing up different tiles can create countless
possibilities.
ii. This requires you to analyze the changing
circumstances and keep exercising your
brains.

B. Avoid the risk of dementia

(Research) 1. A research conducted by City University of Hong
Kong shows that cognitive measures can be gained
through the game and the effects lasted for a month.
2. Mahjong helps keep our minds sharp at any age.
 (Transition) [We can see how mahjong contributes to our life in different
aspects. But some people may argue that mahjong is just
simply a gambling game.]

I. Playing mahjong is a waste of money and harmful for family

relationship
(Rebuttal) A. The setback depends on gamblers’ attitude
(Quotation) 1. “small amount of gambling is entertaining but
excessive gambling harms.”
(Description) 2. If your focus is only on betting and value of money,
you can lose money on any types of gambling
games.
(Description) B. The game could be spiced up by involving appropriate
amount of money
1. The outcome is more unpredictable and involve more
psychological considerations.
2. Makes mahjong a more complicated and competitive
game that most of the players enjoy rather than
simply betting.

(Transition) [Now I believe you all understand why mahjong is so fascinating

from different angles of view.]

CONCLUSION
(Specific purpose) I. To review, then, let me remind you of the three reasons
why you should learn how to play mahjong:
(Simple Summary) A. Preserve the tradition and culture
B. Way to socialize
C. Keep your mind sharp
(Referring back to the II. Learning this Chinese legacy can pass down this
opening question) tradition and its advantages to the next generation.
(Call for action) III. If you are looking for an interesting and favorable
hobby, please consider Mahjong.
 References

 Lee, S. (2018). Playing Mahjong is Good Exercise for Your Brain. Figur8 -

Nurture for the Future.
 Yeung, R. (2018). Familiar Hong Kong sound of mahjong tiles may be fading as
more young people shun game. [online] South China Morning Post.
 Lo, Andrew (2004). ‘China’s Passion for Pai: Playing Cards, Dominoes, and
Mahjong’. In: Asian Games: The Art of Contest. Asia Society. p. 192.
 Springer, K. (2017). How the game is changing with the times in Hong Kong.
CNN Travel.
 Depaulis, Thierry (2007). "'Embarrassing Tiles: Mahjong and the Taipings'". The
Playing-Card. 35 (3): 148–152.
 Agadoni, L. (2017). What Are the Benefits of Mahjong. [online] Ourpastimes.