The origin of triads, from secret societies and brotherhoods to global criminal networks
While Hong Kong triads are now known for their criminal enterprises, their roots lie in secret societies that stretch back hundreds of years
One man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter, or so the saying goes. Similarly, the history of Hong Kong’s triads is not merely a chronicle of crime, but a multilayered saga deeply intertwined with Chinese politics, migration and the city’s unique position.
The journey from righteous secret societies to global criminal enterprises reveals much about the turbulent ebbs and flows of Chinese history.
Tiandihui, also known as the Heaven and Earth Society and Hongmen, is widely acknowledged by historians as the most direct predecessor to the triads. While popular legends say it was founded by surviving Ming loyalists in the Shaolin Temple, modern scholars suggest this was not the case.
According to The Origins of the Tiandihui: The Chinese Triads in Legend and History (1994) by Baoqi Qin and Dian H. Murray, the society emerged in the 18th century as a mutual aid association among the urban poor and itinerant workers in the Fujian and Guangdong provinces.
The book argues that Tiandihui was formed around 1761-1762 as a fraternal organisation, mainly for self-protection. Political motives were secondary, or later, additions. The “anti-Qing” narrative was a powerful unifying ideology, but their early activities were often local and defensive.