Chinese Playing Cards

An 11th century source reports that the game of cards appeared in the middle of the T'ang dynasty (613-906) and “that a certain Yang Tan-ien greatly esteemed the playing of cards”, and that these cards had markings taken from dice. This evidence suggests that card playing first began in China. Another report dates from 1294, when Yen Sengzhu and Zheng Pig-Dog were apparently caught gambling in Enzhou (in modern Shandong Province). The law case notes that nine paper cards and thirty six taels of zhong tong period (1260-1264) paper currency were seized, along with wood blocks for printing cards. Our next source is from the writings of the Ming dynasty scholar Lu Rong (1436-1494), who notes that he was sneered at for not knowing how to play cards when he was a government student at Kunshan in modern Jiangsu Province.

The Chinese took their cards with them wherever they travelled and traded in the East, and we find Chinese cards in use not only in the mainland but also in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, North Borneo and Vietnam. Mahjongg Cards are also played with in Japan as well as in many different parts of the world both by the local inhabitants and the Chinese settlers.

During the nineteenth century Belgian manufacturers (eg Brepols, Van Genechten) and also Camoin of Marseilles produced “Chinese” cards for export to South-East Asian countries including Java, the Celebes, Thailand and possibly China as well →

Right: typical example of Chinese Money cards exported to Far Eastern countries by nineteenth century Belgian manufacturers.

The best known Chinese playing cards are the money-derived ones. Packs are made of up to one hundred and twenty cards composed of four identical sets of thirty cards each. These cards are narrow, flexible strips of cardboard. Often the cards contain illustrations alluding to traditional literary scenes or folk stories. Money cards are used or produced in China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Java and Bali in many different styles, formats and sizes.   Four Colour Cards →

Above: "Dongguan Pai" from Dongguan, a place in the province of Guangdong (canton). This "Money Cards" deck has 244 cards, comprising of 240 cards plus 4 "joker" cards. It is made by "Double Elephant brand". Fifth from the right we have the "white flower" the text on it reads "he xing, hongkong". The one to its right is the "little red" (xiao hong) it bears 3 red stamps and a little portrait of a man in the middle. Next to it is the "big red" (da hong) as before, it bears a picture of a man & 2 red stamps. The one on the right is a joker, or "ghost" card, the text on it bears information about the maker. The back of the cards is plain orange (the cardstock is actually almost translucent). Images courtesy Anthony Lee.

Right: a more colourful edition of Money cards; 5 sets of 30 cards, plus five cards with full-length figures and an additional card marked Wang Pai (trump card), total 156. Manufactured by Zhejiang Wuyi United Printing Company Limited, Zhejiang Province, on the eastern coast of China.

Then there are Domino Cards, which are played with in much the same was as with dominoes. Domino cards, deriving as they do from the 21 throws of a pair of dice, could be descended from the earliest known playing cards. Often these cards contain drawings of flowers, butterflies, animals, images from popular stories or lucky charms which embellish the otherwise rather dull designs. A third variety of Chinese playing cards is Chess Cards   see example →   See also: Chinese Fortune Telling Cards.

Above: “Double Happiness” Domino cards containing small symbols emblematic of the blessings of life.

Today a large number of playing card manufacturers based in China export cards world-wide, in all styles and patterns. These include: Danyang Weiwang Entertainment & Promotional Plastic Products • Guangzhou Sanbao Printing Co. • Lanxi Caixing Poker Co. • Shanghai Diantian Printing Business • Shenzhen Senfutong Paper Co. • Shenzhen Wangjing Playing Cards Paper Co. • Wenzhou Cangnan Yueda Printing Co. • Wenzhou Jinyi Printing Co. • Wenzhou Tiange Printing Co. • Wenzhou Wuda Crafts • Wenzhou Younghi International Trade Co. • Wuyi Giant Colour Printing Co. • Yiwu Dongjian Color Printing Poker Factory • Yiwu Yongxing Printing Factory • Yiwu Xinhua Playing Cards Factory • Zhejiang Wuyi Tiantian Printing Co. • Zhejiang Wuyi Yaoju Paper Producing Co.  Many of these companies manufacture playing cards for European producers and distributors.

Above: aimed at English-speaking audiences, the left-hand set shown above is called ‘Honey Brand Superior Quality Excellent Universal Models Colour Pictures’ and contains 52 cards + 2 Jokers. The right-hand set is called ‘Fortune Brand’ and purports to present “52 art studies representing outstanding types of beauty. As sparkling and refreshing as a mountain stream, each subject is the result of painstaking research... acclaimed as TRULY works of art by connoisseurs the world over”. It was produced in Hong Kong.