Pyramid Halloween Mahjong

King or Emperor Wu, who lived over a thousand years ago, has been attributed to the creation of the game of Mah Jong. While there is some chance that a game was played back in that day, it is doubtful that it was the Mahjong we know today. Legend has it that the first Mahjong was played with cards, then pieces of bamboo, and finally ivory.

One problem with the assumption that an Emperor name Wu created the game is that there have been many emperors by that name. The fifth Emperor of the Western Han Dynasty was name Wu. He was so busy fighting the Huns that it is unlikely he had time to play cards, much less invent a game. He died in the 80s AD.

The founder of the Liang Dynasty was also named Wu. He lived from 464–549 AD and was a patron of the arts. He would have been more likely to have invented the game than some of the other rulers, but did he do the deed?

There is really no documentation to tell us that an emperor, king, duke, earl, or any other titled human being created Mahjong. In fact, there is just as much to support the belief that Confucius was the creator of Mahjong as any Chinese emperor.

Even though it is uncertain who is directly responsible, it doesn't change the fact that it is a fun and challenging online game to play. If you haven't given Mahjong a try, it's high time you did.