Even though the Chinese New Year brings with it a flurry of festivity, pomp, and color, it is safe to say that this year families all across Beijing and indeed the rest of China are trading in their much longed-for reunions and celebrations for isolation in the wake of the rather unexpected spread of the Coronavirus. This has left many of us with tons of time and no real way of keeping ourselves entertained. Never fear! There might just be a fun way to pass the time without the customary Netflix binging cycles we are all rather prone to from time to time.
If you are a fan of card games, be it poker or even just a simple game of solitaire, then this is right up your alley. If not, then it is high time that you learned a game or two with our help. China itself has been the home of a great many card games that have morphed, taking different names globally, with variations in the rules and objectives of the games. But the traditions still remain in their original forms in pockets of cities like Beijing. The aspect of gambling associated with playing cards might have been outlawed, but that doesn’t stop groups of the elderly and the young engaging in spirited, no-stakes games, with fans watching in the wings and cheering them on.
Dou dizhu 斗地主
This particular game rose up during the Cultural Revolution, as a way of fighting against the Landlord class, which was one of the “five black categories“. Its origins can be traced back to Hubei province. The nature of the game is that of shedding cards, with three players playing with a full deck of cards including the three jokers. Players start by ‘bidding’ for the landlord position. The one who wins takes the place of the landlord and has to play against the two other players who are now ‘peasants’, with the objective of being the first to get rid of all of the cards in their hand. Even though the history of this game is a rather dark one, it no longer holds the same cultural baggage and is a fun way of engaging in a game of teams with the kids or even among friends without having to fork out piles of cash.
For a full list of instructions, please click here.
Information courtesy of AJ at Culture Yard.
Photos: doutula.com
