Playing Card Deck

"Stick cards" or Gun Pai 棍牌. This type of deck contains money cards with three suits: 1-9 of cash, 1-9 of strings (of cash) and 1-9 of myriads (of strings) (wan) and three extra court cards. The myriads suit has the names of various characters from "The Water Margin" (水滸傳 Shui Hu Zhuan): 燕青 (Yan Qing), 花榮 (Hua Rong), 大刀 (Da Dao) ,柴進 (Chai Jin), 李奎 (Li Kui), 李俊 (Li Jun), 秦明 (Qin Ming), 朱仝 (Zhu Tong), 雷橫 (Lei Heng). The extra court card Old Thousand (with 万千 Wan Qian at the top) has, 武松 (Wu Song) also from "The Water Margin" on it. There are two other court cards. The zhihua 白花 (white flower) card has a black and white flower design at the top and the Wang Ying 王英 card has a portrait of Wang Ying with the character Wang 王 at the top. The 9 of strings card has Jiu 九 (nine) at the top. The backs have a diapered pattern and there are index marks to indicate value and suit at the top of each card.

From Culin publication: "From Honan province. Four packets of thirty, no jokers. Index marks for suits and pips. Names of each personage in the suit of myriads. Total, 120."