Four Winds logo

Upcoming Events

Regular Sessions

Sign up to our beginner sessions at ESEACC here!

ESEACC

Every Saturday morning, 10am-12pm

CCCC

2nd and 4th Sundays of the month, 1.30pm-4pm

Special Events

Watch this space!

Locations

Camden Chinese Community Centre

Address: 9 Tavistock Pl, London WC1H 9SN

Nearest stations: Russell Square (5 min walk), Euston (10 min walk), Kings Cross (11 min walk)

ESEA Community Centre

Address: 12-14 Englefield Road, London N1 4LS

Nearest stations: Dalston Junction (7 min walk), Dalston Kingsland (10 min walk)

About

Hi! Welcome to Four Winds Mahjong Club! We're a volunteer-led community club that brings people together for weekly mahjong sessions and occasional special events. Run by a dedicated team of volunteers, we teach mahjong to beginners and provide a welcoming space for ESEA folks and allies to come together and play mahjong every weekend in ESEA Community Centre in Hackney and Camden Chinese Community Centre in Euston. Come join us some time!

Mission & Values

Four Winds' mission is to provide regular all levels, all ages mahjong events to bring people of the ESEA community and allies together and foster a sense of community.

Our values are:

  • Joy/Fun: Share the joy of mahjong with our members.

  • Community first: Four Winds is not a brand or a business but a not-for-profit community group, that prioritises enriching the community. Everything we do is in service of this goal.

  • Safety & respect: Everyone should feel welcomed and safe at all times. Our volunteers and our fellow members deserve your respect. If an attendee or volunteer feels uncomfortable or in any way unsafe, we are promptly followed up with and dealt with it appropriately.

  • Accessibility & inclusivity: Access to mahjong, community, no matter what your level, age or background is.

  • Supportive culture: Be a supportive and positive community within the club and in the broader ESEA community.

  • Gratitude: Towards each other, our volunteers and our community centres.

How to Play

Here at Four Winds Mahjong Club, we play Hong Kong Old Style.

Setup

  1. Tiles: The game uses 144 tiles, including suits (Bamboo, Characters, Circles), Honors (Winds and Dragons), and optional Flower and Season tiles.

  2. Players: Four players are needed.

  3. Building the Wall: Each player builds a wall of tiles, 2 tiles high and 17 tiles long (18 if using Flowers and Seasons). The walls are then pushed together to form a square.

Starting the Game

  1. Drawing Tiles: Each player draws 13 tiles from the wall. The dealer (East Wind) draws an extra tile, making it 14.

  2. Flower and Season Tiles: If a player draws a Flower or Season tile, they must place it face up and draw a replacement tile from the wall.

Gameplay

  1. Turns: Players take turns in a counterclockwise direction (East > South > West > North).

  2. Drawing and Discarding: On their turn, a player draws a tile from the wall and discards one tile. The goal is to form a complete hand of 14 tiles.

  3. Forming a Hand: A complete hand consists of four sets of three tiles and a pair. Sets can be:

    • Pong: Three identical tiles.

    • Chow: A sequence of three tiles in the same suit.

    • Kong: Four identical tiles (requires drawing an extra tile from the wall).

  4. Winning: A player declares “sik wu” (食糊) or “Mahjong” when they complete their hand.

Scoring

  1. Basic Points: Points are awarded based on the type of sets and the presence of special tiles.

  2. Doubles (Fan): Points can be doubled for certain conditions, like having all Pongs or a specific combination of tiles.

Ending the Game

  1. Rounds: The game is played in rounds, with each player taking turns as the dealer.

  2. Winning the Match: The match ends after a predetermined number of rounds or when a player reaches a certain score.

Want to learn how to play? Come down to one of our sessions and we'll be happy to teach you!

Code of Conduct

Welcome to Four Winds Mahjong Club! We are thrilled to have you join our events and play some mahjong. Please take a moment to review our Code of Conduct, which outlines the expectations and principles that guide our community. By joining our activities and events, you agree to abide by this Code of Conduct. Let's work together to create a welcoming and enjoyable community for all our members.

If you have any concerns or questions, feel free to reach out to the club organisers. Thank you for being a valued member of our community!

  1. Respect and Inclusivity

    1. Treat every member with respect, kindness, and consideration.

    2. Embrace diversity, inclusion, and be open-minded! Four Winds was born out of wanting to reconnect to our cultural roots and provide a space for the ESEA community so this is of utmost importance to us.

    3. Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated. 

  2. Positive Environment

    1. Foster a positive and uplifting atmosphere within the club. This means avoiding negative behavior, including bullying, harassment, or any form of intimidation.

    2. We always strive to be better as a club, so are open to conversation, suggestions and constructive criticism. However, please be mindful of language and tone when providing this.

  3. Communication Guidelines

    1. Communicate openly, honestly and respectfully with fellow members.

    2. If conflicts arise, please feel free to come to us and we will ensure to take direct actions to help resolve matters.

  4. Personal Boundaries

    1. Respect the personal space and boundaries of others. Refrain from engaging in any behavior that may make others feel uncomfortable.

    2. Obtain consent before sharing personal information or photographs on social media.

  5. Club Activities and Events

    1. Four Winds mahjong is aimed for fun! We do not hold mahjong games that involve gambling. 

    2. If you have concerns or suggestions regarding club activities, communicate them respectfully to the club organisers.

Should any of these Codes of Conduct be violated, Four Winds reserves the right to issue warnings, suspension, or expulsion from the club, depending on the severity of the offence.

FAQs

What is Four Winds?

Four Winds Mahjong Club is a volunteer-led community club that brings people together for weekly mahjong sessions and occasional special events. Run by a dedicated team of volunteers, we teach mahjong to beginners and provide a welcoming space for ESEA folks and allies to come together and play mahjong every weekend in ESEA Community Centre in Hackney and Camden Chinese Community Centre in Euston.

Do I need to sign up? Where do I do that?

ESEACC: If you’re a beginner or want to learn points, please sign up for tickets here to secure a spot on our teaching tables! Please arrive on time! We will operate with a 15 minute grace period. If you don’t arrive on time, we will give your seat to walk-ins. If you’re an experienced player, there is no need to sign up.

CCCC: No need to sign up! We do recommend arriving early to get a spot on a table.

When are your sessions?

ESEA Community Centre, 12-14 Englefield Rd, London N1 4LS: every Saturday, 10:00-12:00.

Camden Chinese Community Centre, 9 Tavistock Pl, WC1H 9SN: every 2nd & 4th Sunday, 13:30-16:00.

Sign up to the mailing list in our bio to stay up to date and keep an eye out on our socials for any special announcements.

I don’t know how to play, can I still come?

Please do! We have volunteer teachers at every session to help you learn, no matter what level of mahjong you can play. If you’re a total beginner we recommend arriving as early as possible to guarantee a spot and start at the same time as other beginners. For beginners coming to play at ESEACC, please sign up via our Eventbrite to get yourself a beginner ticket and arrive between 10:00-10:15 to guarantee a spot on a teaching table.

What style of mahjong do you play?

Hong Kong Old Style (we do not accept all pairs hands or money!)

Are we allowed to bring pets?

You can bring pets to ESEACC sessions but not to CCCC Bloomsbury sessions.

Do I have to pay?

We recommend a £5 donation that goes straight to the community centres, it is not at all mandatory but we wouldn’t be able to host our weekly mahjong club without these community centres, which also do so much more for the communities they serve!

How do I get involved?

If you’d like to volunteer as a teacher or help greet people and sign them in, go to the Linktree in our bio and fill out our volunteer form. For a more involved role in the steering committee, we have an annual general meeting each year which will be announced closer to the time.

Does Four Winds host private events? (e.g. birthday parties)

Unfortunately at this time we're unable to accommodate private events due to the availability of our volunteers who are busy with community events. At the moment, one of our community members hosts private events for mahjong. Please feel free to reach out to us and we can pass on their contact should that be of interest.

Contact

For faster responses, contact us via Instagram at @fourwindsmahjong!

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