Marvelous mahjong: 4 places to play in Shanghai

There are plenty of Shanghai's older residents who pull up a pew on street corners to get their mahjong (麻将) fix, but around town there is also a network of games parlors set up so the madness can continue all the night long. 

Here are four of the best.

The mahjong hall at Que Sheng Hui.

1. Que Sheng Hui Board and Card Games Club (雀圣汇棋牌会所)

A solid choice in Jing’an district, its 27 rooms are primarily populated by local office workers.

Friday night is particularly busy, but this isn't the kind of place to come and make new friends. The folks who make this their mahjong home away from home are regulars who are here to play -- it's a serious business.

Regular customer Franky Zhou tells us though Que Sheng Hui has a good environment and private rooms, “people can't bring their own drinks, even tea isn't free, so it can be more expensive”.

Apart from housing local mahjong fans, Que Sheng Hui also receives foreign tourist groups who are looking for some mahjong education.

Best for: Clean, quiet mid-range option, perfect for people who come to play rather than to socialize. 
Price: RMB 25-55 per hour, depending on the size of the room.

Que Sheng Hui Board and Card Games Club, 428 Wuning Nan Lu, near Yuyao Lu (武宁南路428号, 近余姚路), +86 21 5108 3833, 24 hours

The most unlikely mahjong parlor in Shanghai.

2. Day Day Holiday Julu Lu Branch (天天周末巨鹿路店)

Housed in an old shikumen home, Day Day Holiday's decor would not look out of place in any grandmother’s attic, heavy on teddy bears, cats and clutter.

This venue is popular with young folks getting together for birthday parties and office team-building days. As well as mahjong and a variety of board games, patrons can partake in the more modern pastimes of playing Wii and PS3. It's the perfect solution if you are having a party and are trying to please everyone.

Ning Ning, who comes here with a group of friends, suggests customers bring their own food and drinks.

Best for: Large groups of young people looking for something different. 
Price: RMB 68 per hour, depending on the size of your group.

Day Day Holiday Julu Lu Branch, 225 Julu Lu, near Ruijin Yi Lu (巨鹿路225号, 近瑞金一路), + 86 21 5306 1816, +86 21 139 1648 1596, 10 a.m.-midnight, www.daydayholiday.com

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Enjoy a TCM foot massage at Yubianhui after eight hours of mahjong playing.

3. Yubianhui (御匾会)

This mahjong/massage parlor opened in 2008 and is popular with locals and Japanese expats.

It's one of the more upmarket mahjong options in Shanghai and though you pay a higher price, the quality of the environment and service is also a mighty improvement on some of the other joints around town.

The other specialty at Yubianhui is its foot massages (RMB38-78), which are highly recommended after an intense session of mahjong.

Best for: People who want to play mahjong without getting their hands dirty. 
Price: RMB 58 per hour for a VIP room.

Yubianhui,3/F, 1579 Xietu Lu (斜土路1579号3楼), + 86 21 3416 0160, mahjong parlor open 24 hours, massage parlor open noon- 2 a.m., www.yubianhui.com

"Damn, should have booked early so I can enjoy the Hello-Kitty environment."

4. Home Party Changning Branch (桌游世界长宁店)

Like Day Day Holiday, the Home Party branches around Shanghai offer video games and a variety of board games, as well as mahjong. The decor is very different, however, with a Home Party giving off a clean, white vibe.

“Mahjong is a pretty good way to waste some time,” regular customer Liu Xin says.

Liu likes the parlor’s good and honest environment. Although Home Party has a short menu of snacks and drinks, the joint doesn’t have real food, so mad mahjongers might need to order takeaways from nearby restaurants.

Popular with local young people, this is a good venue for a party of up to 120 people. They even have a Hello Kitty-themed room for the kitten enthusiasts to throw a wild mahjong party.

Best for: Those looking for good, clean fun in a neat and clean environment. 
Price: RMB 30 per hour, including limited options for snacks and drinks.

Home Party, Changning Branch, Rm. 3004, 789 Tianshan Lu, near Loushanguan Lu (天山路789号3004室, 近娄山关路), Monday-Friday: 10:30 a.m.-midnight, Saturday-Sunday: 10:30 a.m.-2 a.m.,+86 21 6233 0858

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Want to set up your home mahjong parlor? Here is how.

1. Mahjong table: any normal square table will work, or buy a mahjong table (RMB 80-250), which usually has a special surface to reduce the noise when players are shuffling the tiles. Mahjong tables are available here and here on Taobao.

2. Automatic mahjong table: for those looking for a luxury mahjong experience, go for an automatic mahjong table (RMB 1,000-10,000), which will save you the effort to arrange mahjong tiles. Get one on Taobao or at Que You mahjong (1885 Hualing Lu, near Zhenjin Lu 华灵路1885号, 近真金路, +86 21 6640 5957, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.).

3. A set of mahjong tiles: mahjong sets are available throughout Shanghai. Price depends on the material of the tiles. Medium-quality mahjong sets cost from RMB 40-180. High-end ones could go up to 1,000 or even more. 

Mahjong sets can be found in various booths in the old town market (427 Fuyou Lu, near Henan Nan Lu 福佑路427号, 近河南南路, +86 21 6336 7376, 6:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.).

Or this set of Hello-Kitty tiles (RMB 480) will be perfect for your themed mahjong night.