To protect or to crack down
As enjoyable as the game may be for some, it has been shrouded in controversy for decades. The major reasons cited for opposing mahjong is that it is viewed merely as a means to gamble or as a simple leisure activity.
"We are still busy clearing away a lot of gambling activities. How can mahjong become a national cultural heritage?" wrote Wu En, a university professor in Beijing, on his Sina Weibo account.
Opinions like the one held by Zhou Xiaofeng, a consultant at a cultural exchange center in Beijing, represent another group. Recently, he wrote a blog saying that instead of being on the edge of dying out, mahjong is developing a wide range of fans around the world. However, national cultural heritages are usually those in danger and in need of government protection.
Sheng Qi holds different opinion and told the Global Times in a phone interview that mahjong to him is more than a hobby. It is also a connection with his hometown Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, for mahjong has a strong influence in his childhood memory.
Sheng said mahjong is suitable for all ages and has many benefits for developing the mind. "Other games like chess and bridge pit opponents one against the other or perhaps two against two, but in mahjong, one player needs to fight against the other three all at the same time. It's more challenging and trains strategic thinking skills," he said.
Now at the age of 79, he is more aware of how mahjong can help older people stay healthy.
"Now old people practice Tai Chi or jogging to keep their body well, but they also need to stay mentally healthy. Mahjong is a method to keep their minds active," he commented.
He also told the Global Times that mahjong has already been accepted by the Tianjin government as a city level intangible cultural heritage, and he was given the honor as an inheritor.
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