our story
our story
In 2019, Donald was searching for new hobbies and friends in NYC. He discovered board game meetups and was immediately drawn to how they fostered both meaningful connections and strategic thinking.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Donald spent much of his time playing Settlers of Catan online with friends and quickly became very good at the game. As his friends grew tired of losing, Donald stumbled across a link to a Catan Discord server. Within a month, he was actively participating in tournaments and events as both a player and organizer.
Over time, Donald identified three key challenges limiting the growth and development of online Catan: 1) a lack of team spirit and supportive environments, 2) scheduling difficulties across time zones post-pandemic, and 3) a disconnect between online and in-person play.
In 2019, Donald was searching for new hobbies and friends in NYC. He discovered board game meetups and was immediately drawn to how they fostered both meaningful connections and strategic thinking.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Donald spent much of his time playing Settlers of Catan online with friends and quickly became very good at the game. As his friends grew tired of losing, Donald stumbled across a link to a Catan Discord server. Within a month, he was actively participating in tournaments and events as both a player and organizer.
Over time, Donald identified three key challenges limiting the growth and development of online Catan: 1) a lack of team spirit and supportive environments, 2) scheduling difficulties across time zones post-pandemic, and 3) a disconnect between online and in-person play.
To address these gaps, he founded North America Catan, an organization designed to solve these challenges. He launched the fan-favorite Battle of the States (BOTS) tournament series, a team-based tournament where groups of four represent their local area and compete against other teams across the US and Canada. Alongside organizing tournaments, Donald coached players of all levels, helping many transition from online play to in-person tournaments and deepening their strategic understanding of the game. Over time, he expanded to hosting in-person tournaments in NYC.
In 2022, Donald got an invite from his friend Jason to play Hong Kong Mahjong at his apartment. Although Donald is Cantonese from Hong Kong, he did not grow up playing Mahjong. After learning Mahjong from Jason, Donald immediately fell in love with the game, seeing it as a culturally rooted counterpart to Catan. Like Catan, Mahjong rewards strategic thinking, adaptability, and player awareness, while incorporating an element of chance.
As Donald became immersed in the Mahjong community in NYC, both informally through old and new friends alike and formally through organizations like Green Tile Social Club, he developed a passion for teaching and sharing the game. He saw Mahjong as both a strategic pursuit and a powerful tool for social connection. Notably, his friend Jason, who introduced him to Mahjong, went on to create one of the most widely viewed Mahjong tutorials on YouTube under the name Mahjong Sparrow.
To address these gaps, he founded North America Catan, an organization designed to solve these challenges. He launched the fan-favorite Battle of the States (BOTS) tournament series, a team-based tournament where groups of four represent their local area and compete against other teams across the US and Canada. Alongside organizing tournaments, Donald coached players of all levels, helping many transition from online play to in-person tournaments and deepening their strategic understanding of the game. Over time, he expanded to hosting in-person tournaments in NYC.
In 2022, Donald got an invite from his friend Jason to play Hong Kong Mahjong at his apartment. Although Donald is Cantonese from Hong Kong, he did not grow up playing Mahjong. After learning Mahjong from Jason, Donald immediately fell in love with the game, seeing it as a culturally rooted counterpart to Catan. Like Catan, Mahjong rewards strategic thinking, adaptability, and player awareness, while incorporating an element of chance.
As Donald became immersed in the Mahjong community in NYC, both informally through old and new friends alike and formally through organizations like Green Tile Social Club, he developed a passion for teaching and sharing the game. He saw Mahjong as both a strategic pursuit and a powerful tool for social connection. Notably, his friend Jason, who introduced him to Mahjong, went on to create one of the most widely viewed Mahjong tutorials on YouTube under the name Mahjong Sparrow.
Building on this momentum, Donald founded Wind Dynasty Mahjong, an organization focused on designing curated lessons and events for a wide range of audiences from corporate networking to intimate gatherings among friends and family. Many of the same people who learned Mahjong alongside Donald are now his fellow instructors.
Today, Donald leads both North America Catan Collective and Wind Dynasty Mahjong under the umbrella of East Wind Group. The name “East Wind” reflects both cultural significance and personal identity. “East Wind” is a nod to the Chinese characters 東風 (pronounced “Dong Fung” in Cantonese), which closely resembles the sound of his full English name, Donald Fung.
Building on this momentum, Donald founded Wind Dynasty Mahjong, an organization focused on designing curated lessons and events for a wide range of audiences from corporate networking to intimate gatherings among friends and family. Many of the same people who learned Mahjong alongside Donald are now his fellow instructors.
Today, Donald leads both North America Catan Collective and Wind Dynasty Mahjong under the umbrella of East Wind Group. The name “East Wind” reflects both cultural significance and personal identity. “East Wind” is a nod to the Chinese characters 東風 (pronounced “Dong Fung” in Cantonese), which closely resembles the sound of his full English name, Donald Fung.
QUICK STATS
QUICK STATS
Learn, Play, and Connect
Learn, Play, and Connect