There’s an old Chinese saying that goes “of its one billion people, 900 million are playing mahjong, and 100 million are waiting for their turn.”

Indeed, the tile game of mahjong has been a pastime in China for hundreds of years. It’s also gained popularity overseas — spawning various versions.

National Mahjong Day is celebrated on April 30. CGTN’s Frances Kuo visited a local mahjong parlor in the Washington, D.C. area to try her hand.