Preview the following text and then decide whether the statements related to it are true (T) or false (F ). Mahjong and Chinese Culture Mahjong is a game of strategy and luck that originated in China and has become one of the most popular games in China and many other countries around the world. Many people identify mahjong with Chinese culture, because the game reflects some of China’s traditional cultural ideals. Confucian Ideals Confucius was one of the most famous Chinese philosophers, and his principles formed the foundation for much of traditional Chinese culture. Mahjong reflects some Confucian ideals. For example, the Dragon tiles represent the Confucian values of goodness, sincerity and respect for the elderly. Harmony One of the Chinese cultural ideals is harmony. For many centuries, China was ruled by emperors who were viewed as uniting the nation and creating harmony, order and balance in the country. Mahjong shows harmony in its symmetry, with 144 tiles that can be matched in pairs in an orderly fashion. Aesthetics Traditional Chinese culture has unique aesthetic values, such as in beautiful paintings of natural landscapes, poetry, sculptures and calligraphy. The fun of playing mahjong is enjoying the beautiful Chinese characters embedded on the mahjong tiles. Mahjong tiles also tend to have a lot of red color on them. The color red is significant in Chinese culture because red is thought to be a sign of good luck. In addition to red, the colors of green, white and black are also common on mahjong tiles. These colors are included in the five elemental colors that represent the natural world in traditional Chinese culture. Prosperity Three of the suits in mahjong are related to money—the circles, bamboos, and number suits all have their origins in Chinese currency and counting of money. So it’s no surprise that a game of luck and skill like mahjong would have close ties to traditional Chinese symbols of wealth and prosperity. Even if you don’t know how to speak or read Chinese, playing mahjong and understanding the meanings behind the tiles can be a good way to learn more about China’s unique and fascinating culture.