In the 1980s and 1990s, Hong Kong had not yet returned to the embrace of the motherland and was still under the rule of British colonists.
With the integration of East and West, Hong Kong once became a free port with rapid economic development.
Whether it is foreign trade, manufacturing or entertainment industry, it far surpassed that of mainland China at the same time, especially Hong Kong films of that period.
Even today, when mentioning "Young and Dangerous " and other similar movies, many people's hearts will still surge.
In the classic gangster-themed Hong Kong movie, the young and Dangerous boys who talk about loyalty and loyalty go out to fight with their brothers all day long.
Classic scenes from the movie "Young and Dangerous"
Drug trafficking, robbery, and gambling are all the same. Even if you are sitting in front of the TV as an audience, you can't help but break into a cold sweat sometimes.
While we appreciate the excitement of film and television works, sometimes we can't help but fall into deep thought.
Art comes from life. The fact that Hong Kong gangster-themed movies can so realistically represent the gangster group is inseparable from the general social environment of Hong Kong at that time.
Was Hong Kong really that chaotic back then? Were the young and Dangerous boys at that time really so arrogant that they ignored the law?
Heroes emerge in troubled times
The answer is yes, the strength of the underworld at that time cannot be underestimated.
not only has a large number of gangs, but also has an extremely wide scope of influence.
At that time, there were three most famous gangs, Xin Ngee Ann, and Shenghe 4K. Each of the three
families has its own merits. Relying on the leadership and command of their respective bosses, they have expanded their gang power to every corner of Hong Kong.
The development of Hong Kong’s underworld begins in the 1840s.
The underworld in film and television dramas
At that time, the Qing government signed the "Treaty of Nanjing", the first humiliating and humiliating treaty in modern history, and ceded Hong Kong Island to the British government.
The government is inactive, and the local people in Hong Kong do not want their homeland to fall completely into the hands of the British.
As a result, Hong Kong people spontaneously formed and joined gangs to ensure that Hong Kong society could still be dominated by Chinese.
This was the case with the early triad , which was originally established to unite the working class.
The Triad Society, also known as the Tiandihui, was first a secret underground organization in the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. The members of the
organization only want to conform to the way of heaven in their hearts, to oppose the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty .
As time went by, the Triads spread to Hong Kong and became a gathering place for workers to survive.
In order to survive better in Hong Kong, workers joined gangs one after another and obtained jobs and territory through gang connections.
As time went by, the Triads grew stronger.
Old Scenery on the Streets of Hong Kong
The number of gang members is increasing, and their territories are becoming wider and wider. Naturally, various small gang organizations have developed.
The British government at that time implemented a dictatorship in Hong Kong and had almost no regard for the Chinese people in Hong Kong.
At that time, there was political corruption, gang police everywhere, and evil forces were growing and spreading.
In 1940, Hong Kong's underworld had developed more than 30 organizations and more than 130 gangs.
They bully the people and do all kinds of evil.
During the World War period, Japan launched a war of aggression against China, and Hong Kong was naturally targeted by the Japanese invaders.
In December 1941, Japanese invaders occupied Hong Kong and made the people miserable.
The triad gangs, instead of taking up arms to resist the invaders, instead swung their butcher knives at ordinary people.
Hong Kong residents struggled to survive under the coercion of the Japanese army and gangs. It was not until the end of World War II that social conflicts eased slightly.
Hong Kong continues to be ruled by the British government.
"Young and Dangerous" stills
Citizens who had been exiled due to the war have returned to Hong Kong, and other low-level people who are making a living have also come to Hong Kong to work as laborers.
Those Chinese who came to Hong Kong from other places were not familiar with the place.
is new here. If you want to quickly integrate into this place, the quickest way is to worship each other and become brothers.
In this way, regional gangs took advantage of the weakness of the British Hong Kong government to develop rapidly.
Initially, they were just trying to survive. Later, as the organization grew stronger, it evolved into interest groups competing for territory.
For resources and interests, gangs compete for territory and business, and fights continue one after another.
After an extremely chaotic melee period, a man known as "Black Bone Ren" on the road stood up.
"Hei Guren" was the leader of Yongyi Hall at that time, and he was quite influential.
He set a "small goal" to unite various gangs and factions.
concentrates scattered forces and turns gangs into disciplined organizations.
The male protagonist of "Young and Dangerous" Chen Haonan
As the gangs continue to fight against each other, one day they will all come to an end.
"Hei Guren" was moved by Xiao Zhi, the boss of other gangs, and persuaded everyone to unite.
His analysis was pertinent and kept everyone's vested interests intact. Everyone nodded and agreed to the "Black Bone Ren" proposal of unity.
Seeing that there was no objection, the "Black Bone Ren" pursued the victory and held the first Hongmen Congress in Hong Kong's history.
This Hongmen Congress established many rules, and "Black Bone Ren" was naturally elected as the "founder" of Hongmen in Hong Kong.
The word "和" is added to the entrance of each chapel, which means that harmony is the most precious thing.
For example, "Hongshenghui" was renamed "Hehongsheng", "Yongyitang" was renamed "Heyongyi", etc.
and the gangsters occupy areas such as Mong Kok and Central and dominate the area. Needless to say, they continue to expand their snobbery.
And we will continue to tell the history of the development of the next big gang, Sun Ngee Ann in Causeway Bay.
Dai Li
The predecessor of Xin Ngee Ann was the Ngee Ann Gang established in 1919, which was established by the subordinates of Dai Li, the head of the Kuomintang spy.
was sent to Hong Kong to engage in espionage activities.
used his work to reorganize the Ngee Ann Gang in Hong Kong, and also established many chambers of commerce and other organizations such as the Ngee Ann Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Not long after the Ngee Ann Gang was reorganized, the Ngee Ann Chamber of Commerce and Industry was targeted by the British government for suspected triad activities.
The British side canceled the registration qualification of the Ngee Ann Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Xiang Xiang had no choice but to change the gang's name to Xin Ngee Ann.
The entertainment industry under chaos
With Qiang Xiang, the leader with a military background, the gang quickly became famous on the road.
was an early success, but the good times did not last long, and Xin Ngee Ann faced its first crisis since its establishment.
Xin Ngee Ann has many members, and they act in a high-profile manner.
Soon, the British Hong Kong government took advantage of it.
In 1953, forward was accused of being involved in the underworld and was expelled by the British, completely bidding farewell to the Hong Kong underworld stage.
Xiang Huayan
After that, he himself could no longer make waves in Hong Kong and died of illness in Taiwan in 1975. Although
Xiang Xiang could not continue to manage Xin Ngee Ann, his sons continued his business.
Xiang Xiang has thirteen sons. His eldest son Xiang Huayan inherited Xiang Xiang’s position and became the second generation boss of Xin Ngee Ann.
Under the management of Xiang Huayan, Xin Ngee Ann ushered in a new high, with gang members once reaching more than 200,000.
Xiang Huayan also changed Xin Ngee Ann to a hereditary system to ensure that the Xiang family's status in Xin Ngee Ann would last forever.
Xiang Huayan made great strides in Xin Ngee Ann, while his younger brother Xiang Huaqiang entered the film and television industry and founded Yongsheng Film Company .
People who don’t know Hong Kong may be a little strange to hear Xiang Huaqiang.
But mentioning popular works such as "God of Gamblers" and "Fighting Back to School" will definitely bring back everyone's memories.
The above excellent works are all produced by Yongsheng Film Company. In "God of Gamblers", Fa Ge 's best friend Long Wu is the guest star of Xiang Huaqiang.
Xiang Huaqiang
Yongsheng Film Company has produced many excellent works and has also made many artists popular.
Even the affectionate Chen Ho-nam in the "Young and Dangerous" series is rumored to be based on Chen Yiu-hing of Sun Ngee Ann.
In the film industry at that time, there were companies like Yong Sheng that relied on their works and strength to speak for themselves.
is also poisoned by the underworld, and there are also pure dark underworld companies.
They have developed very special products-money laundering and violence services.
In the film industry, money laundering involves exploiting the discrepancy between actual expenses and budget specific to a movie.
For example, the underworld can use its own crew to make some bad movies, let black money financiers invest in the crew, and then arrange for its actors to sign sky-high salaries to deceive the outside world.
Of course it is impossible for the actors to get the salary in the contract, and the gangster crew tried their best to reduce the film cost during filming.
It seems that the investors were taken advantage of, but in fact the crew has successfully laundered Zeng Jin’s illegal money and made a lot of money.
Stills from "God of Gamblers"
Making bad movies and laundering money is extremely efficient. When it comes to speed, a movie can be completed in seven days.
The underworld not only disrupts the market, but also disrupts the filming of other normal movies by abnormal means.
In that era, many popular movie stars in Hong Kong once lived in the shadow of the underworld.
The legendary kung fu superstar Bruce Lee was spotted by Warner Bros. of the United States for his outstanding performance in "Tangshan Brothers" and "Fist of Fury".
Bruce Lee also wanted to open the door to the international market, so he reached an agreement with Warner to return to Hollywood .
But his old club Jiahe was not willing to let go of the good seedlings that had been cultivated with great difficulty.
The two parties eventually broke up. Since then, various negative news about Bruce Lee have emerged one after another, which once caused a lot of trouble to Bruce Lee.
Three years later, Bruce Lee suddenly died at the peak of his powers, which became another controversial and unsolved mystery in the community.
Bruce Lee
Later, Bruce Lee's son Li Guohao also encountered an accident while filming. He was hit by a live bullet fired from prop gun and eventually died.
Not only was Bruce Lee's family in trouble, but even big names like Andy Lau and Jet Li were once threatened by the underworld.
and Carina Lau suffered a kidnapping incident and fell into a downturn for a long time.
The story of Sin Ngee Ann and the gangsters bullying the film industry is chilling, and the next 14K appearance should not be underestimated either.
This 14K is not that 14K, and it is not the unit of gold content in gold jewelry.
Like Xin Ngee Ann, 14K was also reorganized and created by the Kuomintang.
Seeing that the situation was not good, the Kuomintang at that time placed spies in various places, Lieutenant General Ge Zhaohuang was one of them.
Ge Zhaohuang belonged to the 93rd Division, the most powerful fighting force, and was entrusted by Mao Renfeng, the director of the HT1 Secrecy Bureau, to stay in Hong Kong.
Ge Zhaohuang is not only a highly regarded subordinate of Mao Renfeng, but also the founder of the Guangzhou Hongmen Loyalty Association.
Ge Zhaohuang
In 1949, Ge Zhaohuang arrived in Hong Kong and renamed the Hongmen Loyalty Association "14K".
also disbanded and reorganized the members of the Hongmen Loyalty Association, leaving some important members in Hong Kong.
The rest were disbanded in Taiwan, Thailand, Southeast Asia, and even in Europe, the United States, Australia, and Canada. There are also former members of the Hongmen Loyalty Association.
There are two opinions on the origin of the name 14K.
The darkest moment
One theory is that at the beginning of the establishment of 14K, the headquarters was located at No. 14 Baohua Road, Guangzhou.
therefore changed the name of the Hongmen Loyalty Association to 14K to deceive others.
Another way to say it is that K is the initials of the Kuomintang KMT, which represents Ge Zhaohuang’s position.
14K started to make a name for himself with a riot.
On October 10, 1956, some 14K members distributed things like the KMT flag everywhere.
In order to ensure its rule, the British government at that time strictly prohibited private activities from engaging in such activities.
14K’s behavior can be said to have touched the back of the British government.
Ge Zhaohuang
The British government sent people to start collecting the things distributed by 14K members to the people. 14K members took this opportunity to have disputes with each other.
The relationship between the two parties has become increasingly tense, and the disputes have continued to escalate.
What started as a small dispute evolved into conflicts between dozens of people.
Other gang organizations took advantage of the chaos to make the water even more muddy, and along with 14K, they took advantage of the chaos to burn, kill and loot, causing harm to the people.
The Kuomintang's secret agent also took advantage of the chaos and sent his subordinates to cause trouble. Triad radicals were already dissatisfied with the British government's control.
Taking advantage of this turmoil, they took to the streets to wreak havoc and deliberately hurt people.
Even the wife of the Swiss consul was not spared and was stabbed by the thugs.
Things got worse and worse, and the British government finally took action and dispatched army troops to quell the riots. The
riot was finally stopped, but the result was tragic.
Nearly 400 people involved were seriously injured or died, and innocent shops and factories also suffered heavy losses.
Wu Xihao
14K, who could stir up trouble, took this opportunity to become famous.
The underworld at that time was so arrogant and domineering. On the one hand, it had the particularity of its era, and on the other hand, it was because the police at that time provided shelter for the underworld.
The police and the underworld throughout Hong Kong are colluding, and the society has plunged into an unprecedented state of darkness.
As long as the gifts are in place, everything is easy to discuss.
Under this unhealthy atmosphere, a bold underworld organization "Yiqun" was born.
The leader of "Yiqun" is named Wu Xihao, who first started his career by opening a casino.
Wu Xihao founded Yiqun after establishing a foothold in Hong Kong.
Gambling is inherently profitable, but the greedy Wu Xihao was completely unsatisfied and began to plan more profitable activities.
Wu Xihao opened many rice shops and teahouses, and unscrupulously engaged in illegal business under the guise of so-called normal business premises.
In order to make the business go smoothly, Wu Xihao spent a lot of money to buy Lu Le, the head of the four major detectives in Hong Kong at that time.
Eric Tsang
Wu Xihao opened up relations with the police and expanded his business to Southeast Asia.
He personally took the risk and went to Thailand to negotiate cooperation and prices with local suppliers. In order to reduce costs, he even bought a ship to transport the goods himself.
Wu Xihao knew well that "money can make the devil push the mill", bribed the officials and police along the way, and openly transported flour into Hong Kong.
Wu Xihao's business is getting bigger and bigger, attracting the jealousy of many peers.
Other gangsters use some common tricks to hinder them. Wu Xihao is a ruthless person and doesn't talk much, and he confronts him head-on.
During that period, various criminal cases emerged one after another, and Wu Xihao also lost one of his legs.
From then on, Wu Xihao had a new name " Lame Hao " on the road.
"Lame tycoon" Wu Xihao made the flour business prosperous, controlling nearly 80% of the flour business in Hong Kong in the early 1970s, and became one of the top drug lords in Hong Kong.
Zeng Qirong
Wu Xihao opened up relations with the police and paid bribes to Lu Le through Zeng Qirong, who was specialized in accepting bribes under Lu Le.
In addition to serving as police commissioner, Zeng Qirong also worked as a football player.
His son is well known to us. Eric Tsang, who has been the boss of the Hong Kong entertainment industry for decades, is the man who asked the Hong Kong Film Awards to change the date of his birthday.
The underworld is running rampant in Hong Kong. The local people are miserable, and even many Hong Kong celebrities are not spared.
Many family members of Hong Kong's richest people have become fish on the chopping block of the underworld. Even the eldest son of the richest man, Li Ka-shing, was kidnapped by the "thief of the century" Zhang Ziqiang.
After Zhang Ziqiang asked Li Zeju to inform his family that he was kidnapped, he did not hide in the dark and wait for the ransom. Instead, he ran to Li Ka-shing's house that night to discuss the ransom.
Zhang Ziqiang and Li Ka-shing negotiated a ransom of one billion and thirty-eight million, and also warned and threatened Li Ka-shing.
Li Ka-shing
In the end, Li Ka-shing did not dare to call the police. He cooperated obediently with Zhang Ziqiang and allowed the other party to carry away all the ransom money in dozens of woven plastic bags.
In the darkest moment, everyone is in danger, but after getting through the darkest moment before dawn, light will naturally come as expected.
In 1971, MacLehose became the governor of Hong Kong. He saw the unscrupulous atrocities of the underworld in his eyes and kept them in his heart.
Final Battle
In 1974, MacLehose made up his mind to crack down on corruption and established the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Independent Commission Against Corruption, referred to as ICAC).
After the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the authorities wanted to ensure the credibility of the government and also to establish their prestige.
started the road of anti-corruption and rectification of social atmosphere with Gerber.
Gerber was the previous Chief Superintendent of Hong Kong. During his tenure, he committed corruption and bribery, accumulating 4.37 million Hong Kong dollars.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption escorted Gerber back to Hong Kong and sent him to prison for taking bribes. People shouted in joy. After
completed its first successful case, the Independent Commission Against Corruption took a swing at the underworld that had been entrenched in Hong Kong for a long time.
Gerber
The Independent Commission Against Corruption takes orders directly from the chief minister and is very strict in cracking down on corruption and crime.
saw that the rumors were wrong, and Lu Le, who understood both black and white, smeared the soles of his feet and escaped.
But the "lame tycoon" Wu Xihao didn't take it seriously. He still regarded Hong Kong as his own backyard and continued to do whatever he wanted.
The law enforcement officers of the Independent Commission Against Corruption did not tolerate this gangster and arrested Wu Xihao in November 1974.
Wu Xihao was imprisoned. Yiqun lost its leader and fell into chaos, and soon collapsed.
Several other triads have almost disappeared under the severe crackdowns of the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption eliminated the underworld for the people and was highly praised by Hong Kong residents. Hong Kong once became the region with the best security in Asia.
In 1997, Hong Kong returned to the embrace of the motherland, washing away a century of humiliation and implementing " one country, two systems ".
The mainland police and the Hong Kong government have joined forces to carry out a large-scale anti-gang and anti-evil operation in Hong Kong, and have achieved remarkable results.
McLehose
In 1998, the Guangdong Public Security Department captured the "thief of the century" Zhang Ziqiang and several of his accomplices.
tried the case committed by Zhang Ziqiang as quickly as possible and shot the five principal culprits, including Zhang Ziqiang.
God does not bless bad people, and those who harm others end up harming themselves.
Under the iron fist of socialism , the underworld disappeared. Part of
was completely eliminated, while the other part adapted to the times and successfully transformed.
In Hong Kong law, there is a law targeting the underworld.
clearly stipulates that anyone who has participated in a triad or its management will, upon discovery, be jailed starting from ten years and fined around 1 million.
Even if people are stupid and have a lot of money, no one dares to disturb Tai Sui and go to the streets to call themselves a triad.
Gangs may transform, be annihilated, or go into exile overseas, and it will be difficult for them to make waves again.
flourished but then declined. Seeing the underworld again is only in Hong Kong movies.
Films such as "Young and Dangerous" that bear the mark of the times are just like Hong Kong's entertainment industry in the past, which has lost its glory.
"Underworld" stills
80/90 The generation of teenagers who are affected by hormones and yearn for the happy revenge and sword-fighting life of "Young and Dangerous" have also grown up.
Many of them even got married and started a business, and became middle-aged uncles who could only afford five buckets of rice.
In the final analysis, Hong Kong's underworld is a special product of a special era.
Because the British colonists ignored the Chinese people's residence and did not control and lack public order, gangs became prevalent.
And no matter when, the ones who pay for all this are innocent people.
After Hong Kong returned to , it completely completed its transformation and became a shining pearl in the East.
Under the correct leadership of the motherland's "one country, two systems", Hong Kong has reached unprecedented prosperity.
is freer, more inclusive and open than the British-controlled colonial era, and has become a place where Chinese and Western cultures blend most.
Hong Kong has safely weathered the Asian financial crisis and successfully resisted the SARS epidemic.
Hong Kong Victoria Harbor
At the same time, Hong Kong, which "governs Hong Kong with Hong Kong", has also consolidated its position as the center of international finance, shipping, and trade.
Backed by the great motherland with a population of 1.3 billion, Hong Kong has jumped from being ranked more than 60 in the world before the handover to 16th.
has also been selected by international institutions as the freest economy and one of the most competitive regions in the world.
Hong Kong has maintained and developed its economy and has become a true Feng Shui treasure land, sharing the glory brought by the great motherland with the people of the mainland.
In the future, cooperation and exchanges between Hong Kong and the mainland of the motherland will become deeper and deeper, and the ties will become closer.
In the future, people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will still unite to create a better future.
Audience friends, how do you think about the rise and destruction of the Hong Kong underworld?
welcome to share your views in the comment area. Your approval is our inexhaustible motivation to continue creating!
