In Hong Kong mahjong, flowers and seasons are bonus tiles. When you draw one, you place it face up beside your hand and draw a replacement from the end of the wall. They never count as part of your four sets and a pair. A tile that matches your seat is commonly worth 1 faan, and a complete set of four can add more. Other tiles may add nothing.
What to do when you draw one
- Set it face up beside your hand, where everyone can see it.
- Draw a replacement tile from the end of the wall.
- If the replacement is also a flower or season, repeat.
- Continue your turn.
At the start of the game, players replace them in turn, starting with East.
Which one is yours
Each flower and season is numbered 1 to 4, and each number matches a seat.
| Seat | Number | Flower | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| East | 1 | Plum | Spring |
| South | 2 | Orchid | Summer |
| West | 3 | Chrysanthemum | Autumn |
| North | 4 | Bamboo | Winter |
So if your seat is West, the Chrysanthemum and Autumn tiles are yours.
How they score
On a common faan table:
| What you have | Faan |
|---|---|
| A flower or season that matches your seat | 1 for each |
| No flowers or seasons at all | 1 |
| All four flowers, or all four seasons | 2 |
These bonuses can lift you to your table’s minimum. Rules differ between groups, so ask. Some groups give nothing for having no flowers, and some give more for a full set.
How these tiles differ in other styles
- American mahjong uses eight flowers too, but they are regular tiles in your hand. All of them act alike, whatever their picture, and sets are built from them.
- Riichi mahjong does not use them at all.
- Mahjong Solitaire lets any flower match any flower, and any season match any season.
Their meaning
These pictures come from a long tradition in Chinese art. The plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, and bamboo are often grouped as the Four Gentlemen, a classic subject in Chinese painting. The seasons follow the year. The artwork differs a great deal between sets, and on our tiles we drew our own studies of each plant and season. Read about the characters on the tiles.
Common beginner mistakes
- Keeping one in your hand. It adds nothing there, and your count will be off.
- Forgetting to replace it. You will end up a tile short.
- Mixing up your seat. Your seat changes as the deal moves, and so do your matching tiles.