An article on the internet lead me to Little Burma in Taipei. Hongmen Bao Bing Tong had no address.
Hongmen's Five Color Flags, each with a character that is invented by early formation in the 1800s.
Little Burma in Taipei has a few small scale Burmese style tea-cake houses. Burmese menu is provided.
Parking is always an issue, especially outside a restaurant.
A typical Burmese Chinese tea-cake restaurant.
When I asked some of the men sitting outside where Hongmen Bao Bing Tong was. By speaking in Taishan, I was able to gain trust of some of these regulars. One of them told me it was right here, upstairs but come back in the morning as all of them would go home after 1 pm. I said I would be flying to Hong Kong at night.
Then I presented my credentials -- Hongmen pictures taken in Lashio, Myanmar. I showed a portrait of a Hongmen member, and the man watching traffic said, " That is my brother!". "Really, from the same family?" " No, a tong brother. His rank is above mine."
He bought me tea and cakes, then ordered one of the guys to take me upstairs. Opening up a gate through a closed restaurant, no light and with a key, he guided me through a regular size door to go upstairs.
He Ming De, a Hongmen member, took me under his wing, showed me everything. He wore a hearing aid but spook really loud and repetitive. He later lead me to his home and showed me a xerox copy of the "Sea Bottom" -- The Hongmen Secret Book of Codes, Myanmar version 1946.
Must pay respect to deities. This one is surprising and new to me, though I know him from other contexts. Then I see the lineage. Here he is the teacher of martial art in a legendary and spiritual degree. He is one of the deities with a third on the forehead, and an obedient dog, from the ancient Chinese novel, "The Inauguration of the Gods."
Like any tong, there are always mahjong playing, a game for money, strategy and sharpening of the mind.
A white jade statue of Guan Gong, the icon of loyalty and bravery, with his signature weapon -- a Green Dragon blade with a shape that covers the crescent moon.
Hongmen Bao Bing Tong branch, just down the block across the street. Both Tongs are small compared to one in Myanmar. The members were mostly over 50.
Chiang Kai Shek of the Chinese Nationalist Party and the President of Taiwan, and Sun Yet Sen, founder of the new republic.
Diagram of Hongmen's "36 Steps and a half" for the advancement of officials. It also appears in the Hongmen Secret Book of Codes, "Sea Bottom", Yangon version, 1947.
The Ten Forbidden Rules,十款 written with a magic marker.
The Ten Regulations, 十條,.
The Entire 108 Heros of the Water Margin, also known Outlaws of the Marsh, is a novel, partially based on historical facts, of men and women who were driven by the corrupt Sung Dynasty in the 11th century. They occupied Liang Shan with a sizable army pledging loyalty to each other and fight for the nation. Its popularity began in the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty, the first non-Chinese government, when the mainstream Chinese resent such foreign rule. Hongmen models many aspects in their organization after the novel.
Hongmen Bao Bing Tong's branch office is on the second floor.
Hongmen members playing Mahjong. Proceeds pays for the operation expenses.
The plaque: Same Heart and Same Loyalty. The framed yellow fabric holds the signatures of the members when the branch office opened.
The title of the fabric holds the legendary general of Guan Gong, one of the 3 sworn brothers of the Late Han Dynasty, was invited to the enemy's camp. It was a trap. He attended the event with only a few followers, and before the enemy could catch him, he subdued their leader and escaped successfully with backups. This became the most important date to celebrate among Hongmen all over the world.
part of their celebration is always with Lion Dance and drumming
The character in the center is from one of the Five Color Flags. It is Hongmen created character not found in the dictionary, not in Apple computer's vocabulary!
The Myanmar branch of Hongmen was registered in Taiwan in 1998.
Downstairs entrance doorbell with Hongmen branch name. The door is red.
Mr. He Ming De, a long time member since the old Myanmar days. Like most of the members he came with his family as refugees to Taiwan. He showed me his xerox copy of the Sea Bottom. I am guessing he is an important member as he has keys to Hongmen.