Mahjong set

The click-clack of Chinese mahjong tiles, laced with the murmur and exclamations of Chinese language, were common sounds in Broome’s pearling heyday, as gamblers crowded around small wooden tables in Chinatown’s gambling houses to hone their skills and try their luck. With winds, dragons, flowers and seasons, players would vie for pongs, kongs and chows, staying for hours during the lay-up times to gamble in this fast-moving game. Each Saturday morning, a group of locals continue to gather to play with Hong in the family’s Sung Ming Restaurant.