Traveling Trunk

Playing cards found in China date back of the 9th century. At this time, Princess Tong chang, daughter of Emperor Yi zong, played leisurely games with leaves (43). When a substitution for leaves was sought out, this substitution was created based on Chinese currency.

Currency in ancient China was purely coins. There were four denominations: a single coin (1), a string of coins (1,000), a myriad of coins (10,000), and ten myriads (100,000) (43). As you can imagine, carrying a large amount of coins was very difficult. At the same time as Princess Tong chang’s leaf games, a substitute for heavy coins called “flying cash” was invented. These paper bills displayed the number of coins for which they could be redeemed. These four symbols were knows as “suits.” It is thought that men used this “flying cash” to play games and kept the money they won.

Card games are a common form of recreation among the Chinese. When games are played, cards are not merely flipped over or folded. Instead, the cards are slapped down on the playing surface with great force, adding drama to the game (44).