Chinese Mahjong Variants: Hong Kong, Sichuan and Taiwanese Rules Compared

Chinese Mahjong variants can change the tiles in play, the calls you may make, the shape of a complete hand and when play stops. Hong Kong, Sichuan and Taiwanese Mahjong therefore deserve separate introductions. Knowing one version gives you useful experience, but not automatic knowledge of the next table's rules.

Why can you not chow in Sichuan Bloody Mahjong? Why does play continue after a win? And why does Taiwanese sixteen-tile Mahjong normally need seventeen tiles for a basic complete hand? These are practical differences to understand before your first discard.

Scope: Hong Kong Mahjong as documented by HKMA; the Mahjong International League's Sichuan Bloody Rules introduction; and basic Taiwanese sixteen-tile play described by gametower. The Taiwanese reference is a game publisher's introduction, not a universal governing standard. Local rules may differ.

Hong Kong vs Sichuan vs Taiwanese Mahjong

Separate the number printed on a box from the number in one player's hand. Counts below describe the named references, not the contents or compatibility of any product in our shop.

Selected differences between the three referenced forms

Question	How the rules differ
Tiles in the game	Hong Kong: 136 or 144, depending on flowers. Sichuan Bloody: 108 suited tiles; no honours. Taiwanese sixteen-tile: 144 in the publisher's description, including flowers.
Basic grouped structure	Hong Kong: Four sets and a pair. Sichuan Bloody: Four sets and a pair; seven pairs is another recognised structure. Taiwanese sixteen-tile: Five sets and a pair.
Claiming a sequence	Hong Kong: A chow uses the left player's discard, subject to call priority. Sichuan Bloody: No chow claims; pung and kong claims are allowed. Taiwanese sixteen-tile: Confirm the complete call procedures with your host.
Winning requirements	Hong Kong: Structure and the chosen scoring rules; HKMA specifies a three-faan minimum. Sichuan Bloody: A permitted hand with the selected suit voided. Taiwanese sixteen-tile: Check the group's scoring and winning conditions.
When does play stop?	Hong Kong: A winning declaration moves play to settlement, or the wall runs out. Sichuan Bloody: Others continue after a winner; stop after three winners or wall exhaustion. Taiwanese sixteen-tile: Agree on end-of-hand and settlement procedures before dealing.

The Hong Kong figures and procedures above follow HKMA's Hong Kong rules. The three-faan threshold is specific to that reference, not a promise about every household. The other columns use MIL's Sichuan Bloody introduction and gametower's Taiwanese introduction.

The same tiles can lead to a different call

Suppose you hold 1 Bamboo and 2 Bamboo, and the player on your left discards 3 Bamboo. In the Hong Kong reference, those tiles can form a chow claim if the other call conditions are satisfied. At the Sichuan Bloody table, you cannot take that discard merely to expose this sequence.

That does not mean sequences are absent from Sichuan Bloody hands. A sequence formed within your own hand is different from taking someone else's discard with a chow call. If you draw the 3 Bamboo yourself, the three consecutive tiles form a sequence. The restriction is on the chow claim.

Try the example with three labelled slips of paper before a lesson. Say both the tile names and where the third tile came from. This makes the difference between recognising a group and having permission to claim much easier to discuss.

Why a Sichuan Bloody hand continues after someone wins

Under the MIL reference, the first winner finishes while the remaining players continue. Do not gather the discards or dismantle the walls just because one player has declared a win.

Players also select a suit to void after the deal and must discard that suit while they still hold it. Ask your teacher to demonstrate this procedure before starting. Other Sichuan variants may use different opening procedures; do not add a tile exchange simply because a different app taught one.

A helpful first-session agreement is to name the next action aloud: who is still playing, whose action follows, and which reference resolves a disagreement. Keep the practice slow enough that everyone can follow the state of the hand.

Why Taiwanese sixteen-tile Mahjong has a seventeen-tile basic hand

In the publisher's description, non-dealers start with sixteen tiles and the dealer with seventeen before the opening discard. A basic complete hand has five three-tile sets plus a pair: 5 × 3 + 2 = 17. The extra tile completes the structure.

Original structure exercise: five sets and a pair, with no kongs or flowers

Group	Tiles, with suit names	Count
Set 1	1, 2, 3 Characters	3
Set 2	4, 5, 6 Characters	3
Set 3	2, 3, 4 Bamboo	3
Set 4	6, 7, 8 Dots	3
Set 5	Red Dragon, Red Dragon, Red Dragon	3
Pair	East, East	2
Total	Five sets and one pair	17

Remove one East to make a sixteen-tile practice arrangement. Restoring East completes the pair. This demonstrates counting, not a scored win or a recommended strategy; the applicable winning and scoring conditions still need checking.

A kong uses four physical tiles while occupying one set position, so each kong adds one physical tile beyond the simple count. Bonus flowers kept separately are not extra sets or part of the pair. Count all sets, including exposed ones, rather than only the tiles still concealed.

For comparison, four three-tile sets and a pair total fourteen. That arithmetic explains why a thirteen-tile lesson cannot simply be followed without adjustment at a sixteen-tile table. Our Mahjong tile-count guide explains the separate question of how many tiles are in a complete set.

Five questions to ask before joining a new game

1. Which exact version? Ask for its name and rule reference, including any house changes.
2. What happens to flowers? Establish whether they are used and how replacement draws work.
3. Is there an opening exchange? Have the host demonstrate it; do not import one from another version.
4. What makes a legal win? Confirm the hand structure, minimum score and any further restrictions.
5. How are scores settled? Agree on the scoring reference and when the hand ends before anyone deals.

Write the answers on one shared note. If two players remember different family rules, resolve that difference before play rather than when a disputed tile appears.

Common questions about Chinese Mahjong variants

Are Hong Kong Mahjong and MCR the same?

No. Use a complete reference for the game you have chosen. Our MCR winning-hand lesson labels its own scoring framework; do not transfer its minimum to a Hong Kong or Taiwanese table.

Is Taiwanese Mahjong the same as Hong Kong sixteen-tile Mahjong?

Do not assume that the shared tile count makes the rules identical. HKMA lists “16-Tile Modern Mahjong” separately from its Hong Kong classical rules. This article's Taiwanese basics use the Taiwanese publisher named above, not HKMA's separate sixteen-tile code.

Which version should a beginner choose?

Choose a group that can teach one named system consistently. Ask to watch a lesson, then practise the opening, calls and one complete hand. Familiar teachers and clear explanations are a better starting point than an unsupported ranking of the easiest version.

Build your learning path

Return to Mahjong 101, compare Chinese, American and Riichi Mahjong, or explore American vs Chinese play at the table. To inspect equipment, browse Mahjong tiles and sets and verify each option's contents against your group's requirements.

Sources and editorial approach

• Hong Kong Mahjong Association: rules library — linked English Hong Kong Mahjong rulebook, dated 17 May 2023; tile specification, calls and scoring.
• Mahjong International League: Brief Introduction to Bloody Mahjong — sections 1–5 for the Sichuan comparisons.
• gametower: Mahjong introduction — Taiwanese sixteen-tile equipment, starting counts and basic complete structure; a publisher's explanation.
• Wind & Honour editorial standards — our grouped example and teaching checklist are original learning aids, not a new rules code.