Tiandihui

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The Tiandihui is a fraternal organization that originated in China. The Hongmen grouping is today more or less synonymous with the whole Tiandihui concept, although the title "Hongmen" is also claimed by some criminal groups. As the Tiandihui spread through different counties and provinces, it branched off into many groups and became known by many names, including the Hongmen and Sanhehui. When the British ruled Hong Kong, all Chinese secret societies were seen as a criminal threat and together defined as "triads", although the Hongmen might be said to have differed in its nature from others. The name of the "Three Harmonies Society" is in fact the source of the term "Triad" that has become synonymous with Chinese organized crime.