Hwa-Tu

Hwa-Tu is a popular card game in Korea. This card game is originated in Japan called Hanafuda. Hwa-Tu was introduced to Korea in year of 1905 to 1945 by Japanese. Hwa-Tu , meaning the "flower cards". This card game is now part of tradition in Korea. In a deck of Hwa-Tu, it is composed of 48 cards and divided into 12 suits of each with corresponding names of different flower or plants during a month of a year each four cards is base to one of four seasons. The size of Hwa-Tu cards is 1 3/8 wide by 2 1/8 high which is smaller and thicker than card of the westerns. About the graphic or images, it is almost the same as to Hanafuda cards of Japanese. In modern this deck are made from hardened plastic, means it is durable than playing cards of the western.

What is the difference Korean deck and Japanese deck?

• The five "light" cards feature in one corner a small disk with the Chinese character guang, meaning "light, bright". The character is usually printed in white, seldom in yellow. It is never found in Japanese editions, although guang has the same meaning as hikari in Japanese Hanafuda decks. In the Korean version it was probably added as a reminder of the "light" subjects for beginners; since it was maintained on the cards, it became part of the local design.

• The ribbons that in Japanese Hanafuda decks are usually purple (from Peony, Chrysanthemum and Maple families), in Hwa-tuare blue.

• The text featured on the ribbons, obviously spelled in Korean characters, reads hung-dan ("red ribbon") in Pine, Plum and Cherry's ribbons, and chung-dan ("blue ribbon") in the ones of Peony, Chrysanthemum and Maple families. In Japanese decks, the purple ribbons, matching the Korean blue ones, do not have any text at all.

• In many editions the moon card, i.e. the highest subject of the Eulalia (August, Pampas grass) suit, features a small logo of the manufacturer.

• In the second scoring card of the Paulownia suit the ground is coloured in red, whereas in Japanese editions it is coloured in yellow; this part of the illustration often bears the manufacturer's name or brand.

• Hwa-tu editions usually have more extra cards than Japanese ones (a variable number, up to six per deck), which may be used in local variants of the game as bonus cards, i.e. when added to a combination of "light" cards, or ribbon cards, the holder scores extra points.

• Sometimes among these subjects is a variant of the "junk (pi)" card of the suit of Willow, featuring a small logo of the manufacturer. However, these additional cards are not necessary for playing the standard game, and some sets come without them.

• In the Korean version, the relation between the last two families (Paulownia and Willow) and the months of November and December are reversed, compared to the scheme used in Japan, where this variant of the standard ordering is known, yet rarely adopted.

Source:(If want see those images please click that link -->>) Playing Cards in Korea

What are the 12 suit cards?

• January - Pine (Sol)

• February - Plum Blossom (MaeJo)

• March - Cherry Blossom (Sakura)

• April - Wisteria (HukSari)

• May - Iris (NanCho)

• June - Peony(MokDan)

• July - Bush Clover (HungSaRi)

• August - Moon (PalGong)

• September - Chrysantheum (GukHwa)

• October - Maple (Pung)

• November - Paulownia (Dung)

• December - Rain (Bi)

Other cards in one deck of Hwa-Tu are Gwang(Brights), DongMul(Animals) and Tdi or Dan(Ribbons). What are those three? Gwang(Brights) is usually marked of Chinese Character of bright or light. DongMuls are those images are animals in each card and the total is 9 cards. Tdi or Dans are compose three ribbon colors are blue poetry, red poetry and plain red. The most common card type of card called Junk. Junk is compose of 24 cards in the deck. Pi(pee) ten junk cards worth 1 point in Go-Stop.

My point of view is this, the card can be play in a sense of gambling with money or for fun. However, due to its traditional card game, Hwa-tu is only popular in Korea and Japan. Hwa-Tu is easy to play, just put pair to the nearest similar image or respective 12 suits cards or brights, animals and ribbons. Actually I have 1 Hwa-Tu deck, this game can be play be skills and luck. Another tip for this game you should memorizes those images and respective suit card by months, animals, bright or light and ribbon. If you want to familiarize those images please visit Hwa-Tu.