The Number One Gang of the Republic of China Era

Wang HailinHarbin Publishing House · ChinaApr 2017

Rating 3.6
Word count
152K words
Chapters
18
ISBN
9787548406976

Tags

History Books Historical ReappraisalSocial ObservationLegendary LivesPower GameAntiheroJianghu FeudDocumentary Narrative

Summary

The No. 1 Underworld Society of the Republic of China is the most in-depth account of the history of the Qing Gang, blending documentary narrative with a wide range of sources to create a highly readable popular history of the Qing Gang. The book covers: the lives and times of the three titans of the Republic of China's underworld—Huang Jinrong, Du Yuesheng, and Zhang Xiaolin; the tangled, inextricable relationship between the Qing Gang and the Hongmen; master-disciple ties within the gang and internal feuds; the gang's hierarchy and political ambitions; and the Qing Gang's manipulation of the Kuomintang, among other topics.

Editor's review

The No. 1 Underworld Society of the Republic of China focuses on the Qing Gang, a distinctive social organization of the Republican era. Drawing on solid historical sources, author Wang Hailin traces the rise and fall of this vast underground kingdom. The book's value lies not only in mapping the Qing Gang's organizational structure, modes of operation, and key figures, but also in placing it within the turbulent context of the Republican era and exploring its deep interaction with political, economic, and even cultural change. Its portraits of legendary figures such as Du Yuesheng and Huang Jinrong avoid simple caricature, revealing their complexity and many sides within concrete historical settings. Reading it, one gains a profound understanding of why, in old China, underworld forces could penetrate every capillary of society and at times play a quasi-official governing role. Although some details are open to question, as a work of popular history the book has a clear narrative thread and combines information with readability, offering a unique and crucial window into the chaos and order of Republican society.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. It is advisable to have a basic grasp of the historical outline of the Republican era first, so as to better place the book's content in its broader context
  2. While reading, pay attention to how the gang organization interconnected with and shaped the political power and business networks of the time
  3. Consider using the book as an introduction and reading it alongside related academic works or memoirs for a more well-rounded understanding

About the publisher

Harbin Publishing House China · Founded in 1988

Harbin Publishing House is a comprehensive city publisher known for classic works and social fiction. Its "Little Blue Book Classic Works Collection" includes modern literary masterpieces such as Lu Xun's Wandering and A Madman's Diary, and Xiao Hong's The Story of Hulan River; the complete Lu Xun fiction is also in its catalogue. In history, Lü Simian's History of the Two Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties appears in multiple volumes, while foreign literature and Eastern philosophy are represented by Yukio Mishima's The Temple of the Golden Pavilion and Spring Snow. Its authors include Lu Xun, Xiao Hong, Lü Simian and Yukio Mishima, as well as Yang Xiao, Tong Fan, Dong Haiyan and others. Common categories cover classic works, social fiction, history, foreign literature, Eastern philosophy and essays. Public information is limited, so this profile focuses on the publishing directions reflected in its 500 titles.

Contents

  1. 前言
  2. 第一章
  3. 第二章（1）
  4. 第二章（2）
  5. 第三章
  6. 第四章（1）
  7. 第四章（2）
  8. 第五章（1）
  9. 第五章（2）
  10. 第六章（1）
  11. 第六章（2）
  12. 第七章（1）
  13. 第七章（2）
  14. 第八章
  15. 第九章（1）
  16. 第九章（2）
  17. 第十章（1）
  18. 第十章（2）

FAQ

Is this book mainly about the Qing Gang? Yes. The book centers on the Qing Gang, the most powerful underworld organization of the Republican era, detailing its development, peak, and decline, and covering the important figures and events associated with it.
What is the background of author Wang Hailin? Wang Hailin is a writer specializing in modern history. His style leans toward popular history, and he is adept at turning sprawling historical sources into coherent narrative. This book is one of his representative works in this field.
Is the book's content entirely based on historical fact? The book uses historical facts as its skeleton, but in details and depictions of characters' inner lives the author makes reasonable literary inferences based on historical sources, placing it within the category of popular history writing. Readers may treat it as an introductory work on the subject; those seeking in-depth research should consult academic monographs and primary archives.

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About the author

Wang Hailin Author · China

Wang Hailin, a native of Wencheng Township, Suiping County, Henan Province, is a first-grade primary and secondary school teacher who has long taught in rural schools and pursues calligraphy, reading, and writing in his spare time. He compiled the "Fun Reading for Primary and Secondary School Students" series, covering subjects such as Chinese, composition, mathematics, physics, history, military affairs, animals, and plants, which aims to spark students' interest in reading and broaden their knowledge in an accessible and engaging way. He is also the author of medical works such as Clinical Single-Disease Blood Transfusion, and industrial technology titles such as China's Path: From Industrialization to a World-Class Advanced Manufacturing Cluster, and has written historical works including The Number One Gang in the Republic of China, besides publishing articles in local periodicals. His writing combines popular science with the humanities and emphasizes both informative content and readability.