So Master Wong, do Triads really rule the Chinese underworld?

Originally the triads were rebels against the foreign government in the Ching dynasty but when that collapsed they became more criminal, protecting their own.

From the 1970’s heroin became the drug of choice for criminal activity and any principle that the Triads orginally had, was virtually lost.

The triads traditionally ran and controlled any business that was not legitimate within the Chinese community. The redsticks were the fighting crew, the whitefan organised planning and the dragonhead was the leader. Although these days a gun and drugs are the cultural levellers and there is little respect for tradition!

I only feel pity for today’s gangsters - they suffer from the never-ending fear of rival clashes, police set-ups and plain bad luck from all the bad karma that they have created.

A "successful" criminal will always find his rewards in illness, accidents, relationship breakdown, child death, etc. The reality in the end always outlives the myth.

When the triads take over a new gambling place they always come to see me for good luck and fortune telling. I advise them that this is dirty money and they need to do lots of charity to make up for the bad karma.

Most young triads are now just stupid kids acting out their film fantasies - genuine triads will avoid monks or spiritual masters, who they know have the real power. Criminality and its glamorisation is a sad indictment of people’s non-acceptance of karma.