They are a benevolent society or Tong. They, like many others, have no real connection to actual Freemasonry. There are many like this out West.
They may not have a connection to organisation Freemasonry, but Freemasonry itself is fluid and not static. I do not know enough about them, but if they are Masonic, that is what matters. I am planning on learning more.
Right, but even though Freemasonry is fluid, we must not automatically accept an organization as being masonic just because they have adopted the name and some of the forms, if not certain aspects of our ceremonies (i.e. Orangemen). Case in point are the "Chinese Freemasons". They are indeed benevolent societies, but do not perform any masonic ceremonies, which would technically render them non-masonic. Also, consider that they likely adopted the name as a convenient mimick of what they considered the Anglo Freemasons to be. Remember that the Chinese were barred from many if not all institutions and organizations in the U.S. Not much is really known about the Chinese "Freemasons" except that most actual masons I know of Chinese descent have informed all that ask that this group is NOT masonic at all and has just adopted a name for their own use.
Out West, the tongs provided protection;
some turned to crime in the process.
The leader of a Chinese Freemason's "lodge" is called a "Dragon Head", which is how many tong leaders are referred.
The post from BC and Y should give you the basis for conclusion if you don't believe any of us:
"The Chinese Freemasons was more accurately a fraternal mutual benefit society utilizing the distinguishing features of oaths, secret ritual and regalia, all directed at obligating members to help one another especially at times of hardship and calamity. "
Which, on the outset,
sounds like Freemasonry, but in fact is the hallmark of many, many benevolent societies--not just our particular Order, which is peculiar in many different ways.
freemasonry.bcy.ca/history/chinese_freemasons/index.htmlHere's another recent article about an incident in San Francisco, California:
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/01/LEUNG.TMPThe article on the BC & Y site is very well researched and pretty exhaustive. I highly recommend it to gain more insight. Here's a quote about the organization today:
"Chinese “Freemasons” today
"The Chinese Freemasons" is a misnomer—the society has no connection to recognized Freemasonry, either as a structure of philosophical beliefs, or in a history of ritual instruction, or in a legend derived from architecture in general or King Solomon's Temple in particular. Exactly when the various societies adopted the name Chinese Freemasons is unclear. Regardless, the societies are too far removed from their own history, legendary or otherwise, to return to the name Hongmen. By that name, the Hongmen is an illegal society in Hong Kong, because of its perceived, or real, association with Triad criminal gangs, while in Taiwan the Hongmen is a recognized political party known as the Zhi Gong Party. Neither are associations that North American Chinese Freemasons may particularly wish to endorse.
Almost a century and a half after the fact, it would be difficult if not impossible for regular Freemasonry to object to the Hongmen Society's use of the term Freemasons. In fact members of the society strongly defend their right to use the masonic square and compasses emblem. Regular freemasons will simply have to live with the confusion and, should the topic arise, point out that there is no similarity or connection between the two societies. The Hongmen is not irregular or clandestine Freemasonry; by the Landmarks of the Order it is simply not Freemasonry."
And you will see from his footnotes, the author did research the subject quite a bit:
1. The Origins of the Tiandihui: The Chinese Triads in Legend and History, Dian H. Murray, in collaboration with Qin Biaoqi. Stanford, CA : Stanford University Press, 1994.p. 16.
2.'Luelun Tiandihui De Ciyuan' ('A Brief Essay Concerning the Origin of the Tiandihui,') He Jhengcing. edu.ocac.gov.tw.]
3."...of 196 depositions from the 1788 period in the First Historical Archive, 42% joined Tiandihui for mutual aid, 37% to resist arrest or protection from violence, 16% collected money and only 5% admitted rebellion as a motivation." Murray, p. 36.
4. 'The earliest description of society rituals comes from Yan Yan, the transmitter of the Tiandihui to Taiwan, who in his testemony of 19 July 1788 : "recognition is ensured by such secret signals as extending three fingers, as well as by saying out load, "Five dots twenty-one,." which is a secret code for 'Hong'" Murray, p. 31.
5. Murray, p. 37.
6. Murray, p. 82.
7. Murray, p. 3.
8. Murray, p. 76.
9. Murray, p. 87.
10. Murray, p. 119
11. Memoirs of a Chinese Revolutionary, A Programme of National reconstruction for China by Sun-Yat-Sen with a frontispiece portrait of the author. New York : Ams Press, 1970, reprinted from the edition of 1927, London. SBN : 404-06305-5. hc 254 pp. pp. 190-192.
12.The Triad Myth, Tony Lee, Criminal Intelligence Analyst, Toronto Police Service. usinfo.state.gov (accessed 2007/04/30)
13.Conversation at Chinese Freemasons Headquarters of Canada, 116 East Pender St. Vancouver on 9 February, 2007.
14.Dr. William Milne, "Some Account of a Secret Association in China, entitled the Triad Society," Transactions of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. 1, part 2 (1826) : 240-50.
15.Carl Glick and Hong Sheng-hwa Swords of Silence: Chinese Societies—Past and Present (1947), more hagiography than history ; W. G. Stirling and J.S.M. Ward The Hung Society or the Society of Heaven and Earth, London : Baskerville Press, 1925-26 (3 vol.) further promoted the idea that the two societies descended from a common mystic ancestor. The first English translation of the society's thirty-six oaths and rules of behaviour was published by T. J. Newbold and F. W. Wilson, "The Chinese Secret Society of the Tien-Ti-Huih," pp. 137-42. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 6 (1841) : 120-58 ; The first translations of society manuscripts, by Charles Gützlaff, appeared in 1846 ; The first full book devoted to the society, Thian Ti Hwui: The Hung-League or Heaven and Earth League was written by Gustave Schlegel in 1866.
16.Canada 1863 - 2003. p. 86. Canada 1863 - 2003. The Chinese Freemasons Contribution for 140 Years. 191 p. 21.5 cm. x 28 cm. Lammar Offset Printing (Overseas Press, Vancouver, Hong Kong. Graphic Design & Layout : Matthew Leung. Elite Communications Design C. Printed in Hong Kong.
17."The Chee Kong Tong is the Chinese Masonic Society of North and South America, and was organized in San Francisco in 1849. There is nothing for which the Chee Hong Tong stands up for so strongly as the right of its members to wear the square and compasses emblem, asserting that its use by them has been longer by nearly two centuries than by Western Freemasons. We marvel at the similarity of the traditions, purposes, and signs of the two societies and realize that the inception of both must have arisen from practically the same cause. They do not now, and have never claimed fraternity with the Western World." Oliver Perry Stidger (1873- ) Commentary on proposed immigration and exclusion law, San Francisco : Allen printing company, 1913.
18. Chih-kung T'ang or Chee Kung Tong established 1876 although first chapter was established in Barkerville in 1862. "There may have been rival chapters of the lodge established in British Columbia, each claiming authenticity for itself. At another place in the text the writer warns of fraud and misrepresentation by persons claiming to be empowered to found new chapters." "From 1882, until 1910, the society was in operation at the Forks in the Tong House, and in the 1890's, brought about a hundred and fifty members." "The order, or a rival society, had been established in Victoria by 1897...." p. 531 ; "At the dedication of the 'Gee Kong Tong' building in Rossland, those present included the 'local president', the 'Kootenay master', and 'the master of the Fraternity for British Columbia', "Rossland Miner, 27 October 1903 ; "This T'ang was originally founded at Mau-si [possibly north of Quesnel] in 1876, and in 1882 it was established in this town." p. 536. Rules of a Chinese Secret Society in British Columbia. Stanford M. Lyman, W. E. Willmott, Berching Ho Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, Univers���ity of London, Vol. 27, No. 3 (1964), pp. 530-539 [17 pp].
19.Chinese in Vancouver, 1945-80, The, The Pursuit of Identity and Power, Wing Chung Ng, Wing Chung. Vancouver : UBC Press, Vancouver. ISBN: 0-7748-0733-4 p. 13. Cf. 1882 establishment date. We Are Chinese Canadian: The Response Of Vancouver's Chinese Community To Hong Kong Immigrants 1980- 1997</I> Julianne Rock, History Master of Arts Thesis, Simon Fraser University, 2005. Also note Stidger, above for pre-1920 use of Chinese Masonry title.
20.Wing. p, 87.
21.Wing. p. 65, citing Harry Con, Zhongguo hongmen zai jianada [The Chinese Freemasons in Canada] Vcancouver Chinese Freemasons Canadian ZHeadquarters, 1989) p. 101-09.
22.Lee. Also see Teng Ssu-yu "Dr. Sun Yat-sen and Chinese secret Societies." In Robert Sakai, Studies on Asia. Lincoln: Univ. of Nebraska Press, 1963, pp. 81-99 ; W. P. Morgan, Triad societies in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Government Press, 1960, p. 25. Also see "[Sun Yat-sen] was a Triad official of long standing and is reported to have been a 426 "Fighter" official of the "Kwok On Wui, as it was called in Cantonese, in Honolulu and Chicago; this society came under the general supervision of the Cantonese-named Chi Kung Tong, a mainly overseas section of the Triad Hung Mun" W. P. Morgan, Triad societies in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Government Press, 1960, p. 25. Cited by Willmott, p. 533.
23.Sun-Yat-Sen. p. 192.
24."Supported by the Chi Kung Tong (The Chinese Freemasons), he is well received and spends his time promoting the republican cause in Vancouver's Chinatown." Asian North American History Timeline Project, Jim Wong-Chu and Linda Tzang, Charlie Cho. Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society
www.explorasian.org (accessed 20007/04/27).
25.Yun Ho Chang interview, Opening Doors: Vancouver's East End, Daphne Marlatt, Carole Itter. Cited in The History of Metropolitan Vancouver, Chuck Davis. Vancouver : Harbour Publishing, 2007. vancouverhistory.ca (accessed 2007/05/02).
26.Jack Meek, "Chinese Freemasonry", Proceedings. Vancouver : Grand Masonic Day, 1987.
27.All translations from Chinese Character Fast Finder, Laurence Matthews. Boston : Tuttle Language Library, 2004. ISBN : 0-8408-3634-5.
28.Lynn Pan, Sons of the Yellow Emperor: A History of the Chinese Diaspora. New York : Kodansha Globe, 1997. ISBN : 9781568360324 Kodansha Globe Series Volume: no. 197. 432 p.