The Mahjong Hostel

General information

The Mahjong is an abode that encapsulates Hong Kong’s unique character: its traditional past and forward-thinking ideologies, its Oriental roots and Western influences. Every traveler is an explorer at heart, out there to experience culture – we hope a stay at The Mahjong will enrich your journey and offer you a comfortable home away from home.

Behind The Name

Founded by backpackers and soultrippers, The Mahjong is the result of years of pursuing a dream to establish a comfortable boutique hostel that offers cultural immersion in addition to a social exchange for travelers to meet and swap stories.

The Mahjong takes its name from a traditional game that dates back to late Qing dynasty when locals gathered together over a table of 144 game pieces to play and while away the days. Today, the game has evolved into a national pastime and is played everywhere – at home, in the park, even dedicated mahjong parlours around the city. There are various legends on how the game got its name – one being the Mahjong sparrow it was named after, for its petite yet agile body that resembled the game pieces.

All over Hong Kong, it isn’t hard to spot these little Mahjong sparrows cheerfully chirping away or spreading wings and soaring high. A local saying –

麻雀雖小五臟俱全

“mahjong is small but has everything it needs”
– encapsulates the very heart and spirit of Hong Kong, and is symbolic to many of the city’s dwellings.

Likewise, the Mahjong represents our hostel’s soaring aspirations – a compact abode that provides travelers with everything for comfort, a soulful neighbourhood that offers genuine cultural immersion, and a social space for memories & stories to be made… and of course several games of mahjong to be played!