Highlights
- Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and smells of a Beijing wet market
- Learn how to play mahjong and discover the history of the game in Beijing
- Sip on a cup of traditional Beijing tea and learn about hutong culture
- Discover the unwritten social rules of playing mahjong with locals
- Enjoy a guided practice session and play multiple rounds with your group
Description
Begin your experience with a visit to a traditional Beijing wet market, a sensory feast of sights, sounds, and smells. This is where Beijing's culinary soul comes alive every morning. See tea stalls where locals buy jasmine or tieguanyin tea to sip between mahjong rounds.
Pass by snack vendors selling mahjong table essentials like sunflower seeds, peanuts, dried tofu, and candied hawthorn sticks. See fresh produce like Beijing's famous napa cabbage, leeks, garlic, and seasonal vegetables. Watch butchers chopping pork for dumplings and fish tanks with live carp.
Learn how to tell fresh ingredients from old ones (Beijing grandmother style) and why certain snacks are considered 'mahjong snacks' (easy to eat with one hand). Discover how the market connects to Beijing's hutong lifestyle and daily rhythms. Take photos (ask vendors politely first), buy small snacks to bring to the mahjong table, and practice a few words of Beijing dialect with friendly vendors.
After the market, sit down with a cup of traditional Beijing tea (jasmine or high-mountain oolong). While you sip, your guide will share the history of mahjong in Beijing, from Qing dynasty courtiers to modern-day retirees. Learn how hutong culture shaped Beijing's playing style and the unwritten social rules of playing with locals (what to do and what never to do).
Next, learn the basics of mahjong, including tile recognition (bamboo, characters, circles, winds, and dragons — no flower tiles), Beijing-style rules and scoring (simpler than many other versions), and local expressions used at the table ('Hú le!' for a win, 'Zài lái yī bǎ!' for one more round).
Finally, play multiple rounds with your group. Your instructor will offer tips, answer questions, and correct common mistakes. Snack on your market finds while you play — just like a real Beijinger.
Includes
Guided market visit (40 min)
Traditional Beijing tea tasting (20 min)
All mahjong materials (tiles, dice, wind indicator)
English-speaking local Beijing mahjong instructor
2 hours of learning & practice
Excludes
Transportation to/from meeting point
Personal expenses (including any snacks you choose to buy at the market)
Tips (optional)
Important Information
- Shared group experience
No prior mahjong experience needed
No real money used — purely cultural and recreational
The market can be crowded, loud, and wet — this is part of the authentic Beijing experience
This workshop takes place in Beijing's hutong district, near historic courtyard neighborhoods
Easy cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
