Triad 3. Essais on the Tiandi Hui or Triad Society

By E. Serejski (Ed.) Distributor: Lulu. $25.99. 370 pages. Paperback CQ. 2016 (1826-1900).

This Compilation consists of essays describing various aspects of the Triad organizations in Mainland China and elsewhere. These essays broaden the information found in the works of G. Schlegel and W. Stanton (See Triad 1 and Triad 2).

The terminology covering 1916 terms has been updated to pinyin and cross-checked with the works of G. Schlegel and W. Stanton. The compilation also includes 42 enhanced illustrations and over 100 updated references. In sections pertaining to the rituals, when a correspondence exists with other works (e.g., Schlegel or Stanton), the correspondence is marked under brackets.

List of Articles

1. Anonymous. (1846). Secret societies among the Chinese in Singapore, with particulars of some of their late proceedings. Copied from the Singapore Free Press. The Chinese Repository, 15, pp. 300-306.
2. Balfour, F. H. (1891). Secret societies in China. The Journal of the Manchester Geographical Society, pp 40-56. [Addressed to the Members, in the Memorial Hall, Wednesday, March 4th, 1891, at 7.30 p.m.]
3. Blackwood. (1897). Secret societies in China - Sun Wên’s arrest. Blackwood’s Magazine. The Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature, Science and Art. 15, pp. 210-215.
4. Bridgman, E. C. (1845). Evils of forming illegal associations; prohibition of magicians, leaders of sects, and teachers of false doctrines; renunciation of allegiance; the tea sect, &.c. The Chinese repository, 14(2), pp. 69-77.
5. Cordier, H.; Serejski, E (Tr.) . (1889). Chinese secret societies. Revue d'Ethnographie, 7, pp. 52-72.
6. Crane, W. B. (1905, March). The Xiesheng Tang of Chinatown and Chinese secret societies in America. Broadway Magazine, 13(12), pp. 14-17.
7. de Groot, J. J. M. (1891). Militant spirit of the Buddhist clergy in China. T’oung pao, 2, pp. 127-139
8. Edkins, J. (1886). Religious sects in North China. The Chinese Recorder and Missionary Journal, 17(7), pp. 245-252.
9. Edkins, J. (1886). The Books of the modern religious sects in North China. Being a paper read at a meeting of the Beijing Missionary Association, December, 1887. The Chinese Recorder and Missionary Journal, 19, pp. 261-268, 302-310.
10. Masters, Frederic H. (1892). Among the highbinders. An account of Chinese secret societies. The Californian illustrated magazine, 1, pp. 67-74.
11. Giles, H. (1882). Freemasonry in China. An address to the members of the Ionic Lodge of Amoy, delivered June 8th, 1880. From Historic China and other sketches, pp. 378-400.
12. Gutzlaff, C. (1846). On the secret Triad society of China, chiefly from papers belonging to the society found at Hong Kong. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 8, pp. 361-367.
13. Hamm, M. A. (1900). The Boxers and Other Chinese secret societies. The Independent, 52, pp. 1534-1537
14. Kesson, J. (1854). Some account of the Chinese secret societies in the cross and the dragon or, the fortunes of Christianity in China; with notices of the Christian missions and missionaries. London, pp. 242-282.
15. Milne, W. (1826). Some account of a secret association in China, entitled the Triad Society. Communicated to the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland by the Rev. Robert Morrison (Read February 5th, 1835. The Chinese repository. 14(2), pp. 59-69). Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1, pp. 240-250.
16. Morrison, J. R. (1829). Manifesto in Chinese language, issued by the Triad-society. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, pp. 93-95.
17. Newbold, A. D. C., & Wilson, C. B. (1841). The Chinese Secret Triad Society of the Tiandi Hui (Read January 18, 1840). Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland, pp. 120-158.
18. Pickering, W. A. (1878-1879). Chinese Secret Societies and their Origin. Read at a Meeting of the Society, held on the 6th May, 1878. Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Part I (July 1878), pp. 63-84; Part II (July 1879), pp. 1-18.
19. Playfair, G. M. H. (1886). The Gelao 哥老 Secret Society. The China Review, 15(2), pp. 129-130.
20. Porter, D. H. (1886). Secret Sects in Shantung. The Chinese Recorder and Missionary Journal, 17, pp. 1-10, 64-73.
21. Rosny, Léon de; Serejski, E. (Tr.). (1864). Freemasonry among Chinese. Bulletin du Grand Orient de France.
22. Williams, S. W. (1849). Oath taken by members of the Triad Society, and notices of its origin. The Chinese Repository, 18:6, pp. 281-294
23. Wylie, A. (1897). Secret Societies in China. Chinese Researches, Shanghai, pp. 110-146.

Works cited

Table of Figures

• Figure 1. Seal from Huguang
• Figure 2. Small Sword Society Seal
• Figure 3. Shanghai Seal
• Figure 4. The Secret Seal
• Figure 5. Seal A
• Figure 6. Small Seals
• Figure 7. Seal B.
• Figure 8. Seal C.
• Figure 9. Gelao Ticket
• Figure 10. Sanhe Hui Seal
• Figure 11. Burial ground Manifesto
• Figure 12. The Cash
• Figure 13. Sun Symbol
• Figure 14. Ben (Pinyin)
• Figure 15. Ben (Seal)
• Figure 16. Square Jewel
• Figure 17. Square Symbol
• Figure 18. Square
• Figure 19. Zheng
• Figure 20
• Figure 21. Zheng (Seal)
• Figure 22. Tou
• Figure 23. Ji
• Figure 24. He
• Figure 25. Chinese Ceremonial Apron
• Figure 26. E or Ya
• Figure 27. Axe in a square
• Figure 28. Ya
• Figure 29. Ba
• Figure 30. The Xiantian.
• Figure 31. Taiji
• Figure 32. Taiji
• Figure 33. Taiji and two dolphins (War junk from Xiamen)
• Figure 34. Taiji (Trade Junk from Xiamen)
• Figure 35. Diploma issued by a Chinese secret society. (According to Mr. A. Wylie)
• Figure 36. Triad Banner and Secret Motto.
• Figure 37. Precious Relics of the Triad Society.
• Figure 38. Mirror of Yin Yang 陰陽.
• Figure 39. Sacred Tripod used by the Monks.
• Figure 40. Precious Sword of the Founder of the Shaolin Monastery.
• Figure 41. Sacred Bowl.
• Figure 42. Typical Highbinders.