Mahjong, the classic Chinese tile game, is gaining popularity with a new generation of players looking to get off their phones and socialize in the real world.

A growing number of restaurants, bars and nightclubs are hosting mahjong nights in the U.S. Eventbrite reported it saw a 179 percent increase in mahjong events from 2023 to 2024. The event platform says there's been a surge in traditional "granny core" activities such baking workshops and needlework circles among Gen Z members looking for ways to connect offline.

San Francisco's YLL Mahjong Club hosts bi-monthly parties with up to 30 tables and 200 guests. They attract a diverse, young crowd drawn to the festive atmosphere, live DJs, custom cocktails and chance to meet new friends.

"We welcome people who have no experience at mahjong at all and we have TA's (teaching assistants) who teach the people how to play the game. And they love it so much that they keep coming back," said Joyce Yam, YLL Mahjong Club's sponsorship manager.

Invented in 19th century China, mahjong is played by four players drawing and discarding tiles with different suits, numbers and Chinese characters.

"You have to connect them into sets and runs until you have like a complete hand and be the first person to do that," said Nicole Wong, author and mahjong enthusiast.

Wong learned how to play when she visited her Chinese grandparents in New Zealand in 2009. Several years ago she found her parents' mahjong table and game sets and started hosting mahjong nights with her friends.

In 2019, she started The Mahjong Project, an instructional guide and oral history project inspired by her family's love of the game. That led her to publish "Mahjong: House Rules from Across the Asian Diaspora," an illustrated book that explores the game's history, strategies, traditions and styles of play.

"It's a really tactile game and it's really a social game. It really easily builds community among people. I think also for the Asian American community, I think that there's interest in connecting to your heritage and your culture," said Nicole Wong, a writer and audio producer in Oakland.

YLL Mahjong Club has held nearly 20 events in San Francisco since it started last year. Lee said it's an opportunity to introduce people to the game as well as bring business to local restaurants, bars and food vendors. The club has started hosting pop-up events in Los Angeles and there are plans to expand to other U.S. cities.

Ethan Vuong, a Florida native who lives in San Francisco, started playing with friends a couple years ago. He saw it as a way to connect with his Chinese heritage and make new friends. He's a regular at Oakland's Baba House and YLL Mahjong Club events, where he volunteers to teach novices.

"It's not just a skill or mechanics based game. It's an expression of your personality," Vuong said.

Avika Jindel, a 24-year-old economic consultant from Singapore, was among the novice players who learned to play at the YLL Mahjong Club event in August.

"It's definitely an opportunity to kind of like put your phones away and just like play a classic board game type of game and just like talk to each other. So I think that's definitely enticing and like part of the appeal," Jindel said.

AP Video by Terry Chea