Mahjong

70-year-old Hong Kong mahjong tile carver among the last in his trade

Cheung Shun-king is one of Hong Kong’s last mahjong tile craftsmen to stay in the traditional trade that is being replaced by machine production. The hand-carving and painting process is time consuming, and Cheung’s tiles cost twice as much as machine-made ones. But having been in the business for decades, he says he’ll keep serving his dwindling customer base for as long as he can.
 

August 3, 2022