Triad (underground societies)

Triads

Founded	18th century
Founding location	China, notably Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, other worldwide Chinatowns
Years active	18th century – present
Territory	China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, Russia
Ethnicity	Chinese, Chinese-American, Chinese Canadian, Chinese-Vietnamese and expats, Chinese Filipino, Chinese Malaysian, Chinese Singaporean, Chinese Thai, Chinese Indonesian, Chinese Australian, Chinese British
Criminal activities	Extortion, assault, racketeering, contract killing & murder, prostitution, pornography, illegal gambling, loan sharking, counterfeiting, Copyright infringement, kidnapping, jewelry and gems heists, Hong Kong Movies,Hong Kong Music, drug trafficking, people smuggling, police corruption, political corruption, human trafficking, money laundering, arms trafficking, health care fraud, online fraud

Sanhehui
Traditional Chinese	三合會
Simplified Chinese	三合会
Literal meaning	Three Harmonies Society
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Sān Hé Huì Wu Shanghainese Romanization Se-gheh-we Yue: Cantonese Jyutping Saam1 Hap6 Wui2 Southern Min Hokkien POJ Saⁿ-ha̍p-hōe

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Sān Hé Huì
Wu
Shanghainese Romanization	Se-gheh-we
Yue: Cantonese
Jyutping	Saam1 Hap6 Wui2
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ	Saⁿ-ha̍p-hōe

A triad is one of many branches of Chinese transnational organized crime organizations based in the PRC, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and also in countries with significant Chinese populations, such as the United States, Canada, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Spain, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, 'triad' is a translation of the Chinese term 'San Ho Hui', or Triple Union Society, referring to the union of Heaven, Earth, and Man.

Another theory assumes that the term "Triad" was coined by British authorities in colonial Hong Kong, as a reference to the triads' use of triangular imagery. While never proven, it has been speculated that triad organizations either took after, or were originally part of revolutionary movements such as the White Lotus Society, the Taiping Rebellion, the Boxer Rebellion, and the Heaven and Earth Society.

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Wikipedia