After the demise of the Qing Dynasty and the Second World War, triads evolved into a general term for traditional secret societies in Hong Kong. Nowadays, internationally, it is generally regarded as a synonym for China underworld organizations, so most underground secret organizations in Hong Kong can be traced back to the underworld. For nearly half a century, the gang activities of the underworld include collecting protection fees, selling drugs, money laundering, illegal gambling, operating industries and other so-called pornographic gambling and drugs. Individual members will also commit crimes such as theft, fraud, kidnapping, intimidation and extortion. At present, there are more than 200,000 huge triad members in Hong Kong. In most street gangs, 7- 10% of triad members are activists. Therefore, Hong Kong often confuses triads with triads. In Hong Kong, people who call themselves triad members or members are triad members, and they adopt any initiation ceremony related to triad objects (such as flags, banners, poems, prohibitions, oaths, argots, sacrificial vessels, etc.), many of which include religious philosophy, Taoist and Buddhist terms, and adopt initiation ceremonies similar to those in Hong Men. )
Name source:
There are two versions of the source of triad names; A statement close to the historical fact is that different societies come from the Pearl River system in Guangdong (that is, Guangxi and Guangdong), namely the three rivers of Beijiang, Dongjiang and Xijiang, hence the name "three in one". Another Chaozhou gang said that the founder of Hong Men, Chen Jinnan, died in Huizhou, and his successor, Tian You, Hong Ying, was well-led and had a large number of people, so it was called "the right time, the right place and the harmony of people", so it was called "three in one", which also meant "heaven and earth people would meet", and heaven and earth were the same. The seal of Hongshuntang is a triangle, so the organization uses the triangle as its symbol. The English name of Triad is Triad, which was named by the British Hong Kong government according to its name and flag.