Mahjong Red Dragon

Mahjong: playing it, planning it or loving it.

It is the only mahjong tile in the emoji set, so it stands in for the whole game. Next to a time or place it reads as an invitation; after a game it can boast of a win or groan about a loss. Mahjong is a family pastime at Lunar New Year in many homes, so it can turn up in holiday chats too.

What is mahjong, and where's the dragon?

A Chinese tile game, usually for four; the 'dragon' is only a name.

Mahjong took shape in China in the 19th century and spread across Asia and the world. Players draw and discard small tiles, a bit like rummy with tiles instead of cards, to build winning sets.

Three special 'dragon' tiles exist: red, green and white. The red one shows 中, meaning 'middle', and in Chinese it is simply called hongzhong, 'red middle'. 'Red dragon' is the English name.