Taiyuan Four Pillars Mahjong, also known as Taiyuan Standing Four Mahjong or Taiyuan Lisi Mahjong (太原立四麻将), is a regional Mahjong variant popular in Taiyuan in the Shanxi Province of China (Not to be confused with the Shaanxi Province). The name Li Si (立四) roughly translates to "Standing Four" which we localized to "Four Pillars", referring to the unique starting mechanic of the game in which the first four tiles of the hand are separated out as a mini-hand.
The game emphasizes efficiency in building a ready hand while requiring defensive play when facing an opponent ready to win, a familiar style for players experienced in Riichi Mahjong.
Tiles to Play in Taiyuan Mahjong With
Taiyuan Four Pillars Mahjong uses a set of 136 tiles, excluding flower and season tiles. The tiles are divided into three suits Bamboo, Characters, Dots, each numbered from 1 to 9, with four copies of each tile, totaling 108 tiles. Additionally, there are 28 honor tiles, consisting of 16 Wind tiles East, South, West, North and 12 Dragon tiles Red Dragon, Green Dragon, White Dragon.
Basic Rules of Taiyuan Four Pillars Mahjong
The primary goal of all mahjong variants is to form a winning hand by creating specific tile combinations, which include sets and pairs, and to score points based on the type of hand achieved.
Every turn goes the same way:
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Draw a tile from the wall or by take the tile that somebody just discarded
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Try to make a winning hand! The goal is to arrange your tiles into four sets of three and one pair. If you can't, go to step 3.
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Discard a tile in the center of the table, officially ending your turn.
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Immediately after a tile is discarded, someone else can take it to form a meld or to complete their winning hand. If nobody takes the discarded tile, that tile is out of play for the rest of the game and the next player draws from the wall.
By default, the next player is the player to the right (counterclockwise). Even if it is not your turn yet, this is not a time to sit idle. Although the next person is the player to the right by default, there are certain circumstances that allow somebody to jump ahead to call a discarded tile. Also, even if you are unable to call the tile, it is important for you to know what is thrown and what is out of play, so that you are not waiting for it in vain later on.
How to Setup Taiyuan Four Pillars Mahjong
Like most variants of mahjong, Taiyuan Mahjong (Taiyuan Lisi mahjong) is intended for four players. Rules and customs for dealing the tiles out vary from version to version and table to table.
Determining the Dealer
The next step is to determine the dealer. The dealer is determined randomly at the start of the game using dice rolls. Each player rolls the dice, and the one who draws the East Wind position becomes the initial dealer. Alternatively, a random dice roll can directly assign the dealer. After each round, if the dealer wins, they retain their position for the next round. If a non-dealer wins, the dealer role passes counterclockwise to the next player. In the case of a draw round, the dealer retains their position unless a Kong was declared during the round, in which case the dealer role passes to the next player.
Setting Up the Wall
The next step is shuffling the tiles and building the wall. Each player then builds a wall consisting of 17 stacks of two tiles, creating a total of 34 tiles per player. These walls are arranged in front of each player, forming a square structure in the center of the table.
Breaking the Wall
Once the dealer has been selected, the dealer rolls the dice to determine the starting wall. Let’s say you are the dealer and you roll a seven.
Starting with your own wall, count the walls in front of each player, moving counterclockwise around the table: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. You should now be pointing at the wall of the player to your left.
The next step is to determine where to break the wall.
Use the same number from determining the starting wall. Starting on the end of the wall segment closest to you, count out seven tiles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Pick up that seventh tile (since you rolled a seven) because it counts from the indicated player's right to his left (not players but tiles this time) the total sum of the rolls. The tiles immediately after become the draw wall.
The wall is basically like a long deck of cards wrapping around the table in a square. The draw wall is like the top of the deck where the tiles will be dealt from and where the players will draw tiles from during gameplay. The last 14 tiles starting from the back will be reserved as a dead wall.
Dealing the Hand
The next step is dealing the tiles. Starting from the dealer's position and proceeding counterclockwise, tiles are dealt in sets of four tiles per turn to each player. This continues until each player has 12 tiles. Then, the dealer draws an additional two tiles to start with a total of 14 tiles, while the other three players each draw one more tile, bringing their total to 13 tiles.
Getting a Tile
The main way to get a tile is to draw it from the draw wall.
You can also get a tile when somebody discards it if it completes a a valid combination of three or four tiles, also known as a meld, or for a winning hand.
The called tile must be displayed face up with the completed meld. This open meld cannot be altered for the rest of the game. The discarded tile must be called immediately or else the tile becomes dead and will remain in the discarded tile area for the rest of the game.
Calling a Tiles
A pung is a three-of-a-kind.
If you need the discarded tile to complete a pung, you have to say “pung,” grab it, and display the completed pung face up next to your flowers. Pungs are powerful because you can seize it even if it isn’t your turn, and everyone before you will lose their turn.
A kong is a four-of-a-kind.
Kong is like a special type of pung, and can also be grabbed even if it’s not your turn. However, you have to also grab an extra tile from the wall. This is necessary for you to have enough tiles to complete a winning hand.
Generally you cannot claim a discarded tile to form a pair. The only exception is if you are waiting for one more tile to win. You might be waiting to complete a pung, a chow, or an eye in order to win. No matter what you’re waiting for, you can seize it if somebody discards it, anytime. Winning using a discarded tile is called mahjong or hu.
FAQ: What Happens If Two People Want to Call a Discarded Tile?
In general, priority is given based on what the tile is being called for: winning takes precedence over pungs/kongs. If more than one player needs the discarded tile for mahjong, it goes to whoever is closer in turn after the person who discarded the tile.
Arranging your Tiles
Remember, the goal of mahjong is to have all of your tiles arranged into four sets and one pair. After getting a tile, you should arrange your tiles and attempt to incorporate your new tile into your hand.
As discussed above, kong is a four-of-a-kind, which may be formed from a discarded tile. Related to kong is a concealed kong when you have four-of-a-kind that’s hidden in your own hand, which means that you drew it yourself and did not complete it using a discarded tile. In this case, because it’s concealed, the identity of the tile is valuable information and should not be displayed. But because it is a four-tile meld, you must declare it and get a tile from the wall. Turn the outside tiles facedown to mark it as a concealed kong. Just like with open meld, your secret tiles will be out of play the rest of the game with no changes permitted.
Another related concept is open melded kong. Open melded kongs are generally locked in and cannot be changed. If you created a pung from a discarded tile, and later on, somebody throws the fourth matching tile, you will not be able to kong the discarded tile, because your pung was already open. However, there is a special exception: if it’s your turn and the tile that you draw from the wall happens to be the fourth matching tile, then you can add it to your completed pung. Declare the open melded kong and set the matching tile on top of the middle tile of the pung. Since this is now a four-tile meld, you must draw a replacement tile.
Discarding a Tiles
Players primarily discard tiles from their main hand, which consists of the tiles drawn after the initial Standing Four Tiles. During regular gameplay, players are not allowed to discard tiles from their Standing Four Tiles shelf until they are ready to declare a Ready Hand.
At the start of the game, players typically discard tiles from their main hand (the row of nine or ten tiles behind the Standing Four Tiles). These discards aim to improve the hand by forming valid sets (Pung, Kong, or pairs) or eliminating tiles unlikely to contribute to a winning combination.
Strategically, early discards often include isolated tiles (those that don't form part of a set or sequence), terminal tiles (1s and 9s), or honor tiles if they don't contribute to a viable set. However, players must also remain cautious, as discarding a tile that another player needs for a winning hand.
Arranging your Called and Discard Tiles
Called tiles are placed face-up in front of the player, grouped together by type, and positioned neatly to show whether they were taken from a discard or formed from the player's hand. Concealed Kongs are displayed differently, with two tiles face-down and two face-up, indicating their hidden origin.
Discarded tiles are placed face-up in a single rows of six in front of each player, following the order they were discarded. Players must ensure their discards are arranged neatly and remain easily identifiable to track the game’s progression and identify patterns but also track discards for Ready players.
Throughout the game, Standing Four Tiles must remain upright until a player declares Ting.
The Four Pillars (Lì Sì - 立四))
The Four Pillars (lit. Standing Four, 立四, Lì Sì) refer to the first four tiles drawn by each player during the initial tile distribution. These tiles are placed upright in front of each player on the table as a mini-hand, separated from the rest of their hand, and serve a unique strategic purpose in the game.
The Four Pillars Tiles play a critical role in declaring a Ready Hand. Players cannot discard from these four tiles during regular gameplay. Instead, they must build their hand primarily using tiles drawn into their main hand. However, when a player is one tile away from a winning hand, they must discard one tile from the Standing Four Tiles, face-down, to formally declare readiness.
Additionally, these four tiles can contribute to forming melds (Pung, Kong) or pairs, but at least one tile must remain in the Standing Four Tiles zone until Ting is declared.
Declaring a Ready Hand (Ting - (听牌))
Ready (Ting (听牌, Tīng)) in Taiyuan Mahjong refers to the state of having a ready hand, where a player is one tile away from winning. Declaring Ting is a critical step in the game, as it indicates the player’s readiness to claim a winning tile (Hu, 胡).
How to Declare a Ready Hand (Ting - (听牌))
A player must discard one tile from their Standing Four Tiles, placing it face-down on the table. This action signals to other players that they are in the Ting state. Once Ting is declared, the player’s hand is locked. The player cannot exchange tiles, form new melds, or declare Kong from that point onward.
After declaring Ting, the player must win on the first opportunity presented, either by self-drawing the winning tile or claiming a discard. If the player misses a chance to win, they lose the right to claim victory for the rest of the round.
Declaring a Ready Hand
Declaring Ready can occur a player is one tile away from winning with a valid hand, a Ready Hand (Ting Pai (听牌)). Unlike other variants of Mahjong like Riichi Mahjong, you do not have to have a fully concealed hand. To Declare Ready, a player will simply announce "Ready" on their turn and discard a tile. From this point onward the player is essentially playing on autopilot, and they cannot change their hand in any way.
The player picks up a tile on his turn, and if it is not their winning tile, they must discard it. Unlike Riichi Mahjong, you cannot declare a kong, even on self-draw.
A player who has Declared Ready must call Hu or Mahjong on their first possible opportunity.
End of the Game
If no player wins and it reaches the dead wall tiles, the lsat 14 reserved tiles, the game ends in a draw. If there is a draw and no one has declared a kong, the dealer remains the dealer. If the game ends and there has been one declared kong, the dealer does not remain the dealer.
Winning in Taiyuan Four Pillars Mahjong
To win a Taiyuan mahjong game, a player must form a standard mahjong hand with 4 melds and a pair. However, the catch is that the winning player must use exactly 3 tiles from their shelf, combined with tiles from their main hand, to create this winning hand. They cannot use all 4 shelf tiles. Before winning, a player must first declare Ting by discarding one tile from their Standing Four Tiles face-down. After declaring Ting, a player can win either by drawing the winning tile themselves (Self-Draw, 自摸) or by claiming a discarded tile from another player. If multiple players declare Hu on the same discard, the player closest counterclockwise to the discarder wins. A Ting player must claim the first legal winning opportunity. If they miss a winning tile, they cannot win later, even by self-draw.
Initial Points
Decide in advance how long you’ll play for and what “rate” you’ll use. If you plan to play for several hours, you might, for instance, reshuffle seating every hour or so. Also agree on how many “points” each player starts with—represented by chips or some other marker.
Common values are 50 points or 100 points, however you can go as high as you like. These points serve as a baseline for calculating wins, losses, and any multipliers.
Points and Payout in Taiyuan Four Pillars Mahjong
In Taiyuan Mahjong, the points and payouts are simplified and most around Spirit Tiles. Scoring is divided into Base Hand Points, Hand Multipliers Points, and Spirit Tile Points to determine the payout.
Payout Calculation
For Discard WIns:
Discard Win Payout = (Hand Value + Kong Points) × Multiplier + Penalty Points
- Multiplier = 1 for Ready opponents, 3 for Non-Ready opponents.
- Penalty Points = 0 for Ready opponents, +2 for Non-Ready opponents, or +4 for Non-Ready Dealer
For Self-Draw Wins:
Self-Draw Win Payout = (Hand Value × Multiplier) + Kong Points + Penalty Points
- Multiplier = 2 for Ready opponents, 3 for Non-Ready opponents.
- Penalty Points = 0 for Ready opponents, +2 for Non-Ready opponents, or +4 for Non-Ready Dealer
Note: Kong Points are NOT multiplied in this scenario.
Point Value Table for Taiyuan Four Pillars Mahjong
| Condition in English (Chinese Transliteration, Chinese Characters) | Description | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Points (Hépái Jīběn Fēn, 和牌基本分) | Base points for a winning hand. | 1 |
| Missing Suit (Quēmén, 缺门) | Winning hand does not include one suit (Bamboo, Dots, or Characters). Mixed or Pure One Suit hands are excluded. | 1 |
| Middle Tile Wait (Jiāzhāng, 夹张) | Winning tile completes a sequence by filling the middle gap (e.g., 3 and 5, winning with 4). | 1 |
| Edge Tile Wait (Biānzhāng, 边张) | Winning tile completes an edge sequence (e.g., 1 and 2, winning with 3, or 8 and 9, winning with 7). | 1 |
| Single Tile Wait (Diàozhāng, 吊张) | Winning tile forms the final pair or completes the hand as the only possible winning tile. | 1 |
| Exposed Kong (Míng Gàng, 明杠) | Declared Exposed Kong (public). Only counts if the winner declares it. | 1 |
| Concealed Kong (Àn Gàng, 暗杠) | Declared Concealed Kong (hidden). Only counts if the winner declares it. | 2 |
| Dealer Bonus (Zhuāngjiā, 庄家) | Point added for being the Dealer hand if they win, Point deduct if the dealer loses via self drawn and/or discard | 1 |
| Non-Ready Win (Fàng Chòng, 放铳) | A player not in a ready state discards the winning tile. They pay this point to the winner. Do not multiply value of Kong Points | 3x |
| Non-Ready Win Bonus | A player not in a ready state discards the winning tile. They pay this point to the winner. | 2 (Non-Dealer or 4 (Dealer) |
| Dragon Bonus (Qīng Lóng, 青龙) | Winning hand contains 1-2-3, 4-5-6, and 7-8-9 in the same suit. | 20 |
| Self-Drawn Win (Zì Mō, 自摸) | Points earned from a self-drawn winning tile. Total score doubles, Do not multiply value of Kong points. | 2x |
