Mahjong is one of the oldest and most popular tile-based games in Haiti. Mahjong refers to a broad array of table games which are generally played with sets of 144 tiles bearing symbols. Mahjong began as a four-player game, later expanding to five players, and often accompanied with drinking and gambling. By the mid-19th century, Mahjong became the most popular game in the region and has since been an important cultural institution in Haitian society. Mahjong was introduced to Haiti by the Chinese in the 19th century and much of the rules of the game are believed to have been heavily modified to fit the Haitian culture.