Wen Lee, a teacher with the Mahjong Master, shows a group how to play at Gravitas in Beverly Hills.
Photographer: Maggie Shannon for Bloomberg PursuitsLiving
Mahjong Is the Third Place of the Moment for a Burned-Out Generation
“There’s a lot of joy that comes from seeing people make connections across the table, especially people that you wouldn’t expect to meet.”
On a Wednesday night at Beverly Hills’ newest members-only club, Gravitas, the usual scene of dimly lit dinner tables laden with wine and caviar has been replaced by hundreds of clinking tiles. Inside, more than 50 members and guests have gathered to play an ancient game that’s taken over the town: mahjong.
“The world is looking very bleak right now,” says Christina Huntington, 48, after she plays — and wins — her first round. “I just wanted to do something fun.”