The Green Gang 青幫 - The Full History of China's Most Powerful Gang | Old Shanghai

The full history of China's most powerful organized crime group from Shanghai. In this video we discuss the early origins of the gang, the height of their power, the most prominent members and their ultimate downfall. The time period of the gangs operations span from the late 1800s to the late 1940s. The Green Gang's most dominant years were the 1920s and 1930s in the French Concession part of the city, when Shanghai was known as the most decadent city and most cosmopolitan city of the world. 青幫, Du Yuesheng 杜月笙, Huang Jinrong 黃金榮, Zhang Xiaolin 张啸林, were known as the most prominent members and the 3 Tycoons or 3 Kings of Shanghai and took the gang to astronomical heights.
Mistake at 19:30, that is not a photo of Jacob Katzenberg. The real photo of jacob is online.
Sources:
information: (1) Paul French (chinarhyming.com), (2) East Asian History "THE CONTINUATION OF Papers on Far Eastern History" (1991), (3) The Shanghai Green Gang in Illegal Markets (Qin 2009; Su and Yao 2005). (4) Du Yuesheng, the French Concession, and Social Networks in Shanghai by Brian G. Martin. (5) At the Crossroads of Empires: Middlemen, Social Networks, and State-Building in Republican Shanghai by Nara Dillon and Jean C. Oi
clips: BFI, Kinolibrary, documentariesfootage, British Pathe

[@bhonemyatpaing4963]

I also want to tell all a story . I am from Myanmar and Yangon City has a lot of gangs histories date back to our country colonial era where we don't have independence. We are ruled by British from 1885 to 1948 .When British came they moved our capital and Yangon City where there was a sea port and become business town. During that time Yangon gangs were dominated by Indians (whom British brought to work in new commercial city Yangon) gangs. But during 1920s to 1950s there was first and almost be called founder of Burmese organized crime was named " Phoe Toke". He became first Burmese big gangster. He arranged riots for upcoming political leaders and became impunity. His wife was a Chinese whose uncle was a green gang member. He connected with Green Gang and imported opium from Shanghai to Yangon Port.

[@gardencity3558]

Spent a few days in Yangoon 20 years ago. Such a fascinating city. Would love to go back!

[@RayyyRay]

indian gangsters aint shit bruh.

[@NiceVideoz]

You did an awesome job here. I will share this far and wide. Thank you

[@user-lt8vw4fe4w]

The Chinese character is always 清 not 青, and the name is abbreviation of 安清 An Qing, named after 江蘇省淮安府's 安東縣 and 清河縣, hence 安清幫, Guild of Andong County and Qinghe County. We never call ourselves 青幫 Green Gang in Chinese, 青 means deep blue or azure. Our official name is always 漕幫 Cao Bang, Guild of the Grand Canal. Andong and Qinghe were two main counties in Huaian Region where the ships stationed during the Taipei Rebellion in 1850's and 1860's. The sailors later settled in Shanghai and passed the organization to workers and sailors there and the Shanghai branch adopted the name 安清幫 Anqing Bang.

[@germain83]

Excellent content as always! Keep it going!

[@colindong7316]

Been waiting ages for more videos on Chinese gangs

[@19930415ak]

Been waiting for this drop

[@VoidBoi420]

These are very fascinating. Keep it up. I like to listen to them at work.

[@SeanDJames]

I just did the same thing on my lunch break.

[@NewportB0agies]

Love the content. Thank you.

[@judekessey7913]

TQ for such a powerful and infomative documentary ! Fascinating history !

[@huyivant5190]

Welcome back!

[@ckool77]

this episode is so good... i love it

[@naishahenderson9976]

Thank you for this video it is uncompromising and informative.

[@aaronjaben7913]

Great in-depth video!

[@superwokexplosion]

I never heard about this specific gang. Very interesting. Mainland Chinese OC is a different league. Thank you for the information!

[@Gr8pezGaming]

good to see you finally return

[@naishahenderson9976]

I am now a subscriber and look forward to watching your entire video list and eagerly await more.

[@warheadvun5485]

Excellent work

[@mujahidabdur-rahman2724]

Nice research gonna subscribe now keep up the good work

[@wargamingchina9174]

Thanks, great channel, I subbed

[@danzomon5853]

I somehow just stumbled upon your channel and have now subbed! Great job with the information. I studied Chinese history in Uni but your version made it so much more interesting. Keep up the awesome work! Look forward to the next one!

[@Terelamans]

Cool que m

[@amielpailan1532]

​@@Terelamansoo kk kk see oook9ooooooooooooooooooo9oo9ooo99ooo9oooooooooooo9ooooooooooooooooooooooo9ooooooooooooooooooooooooolooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo9oo9ooooooooooooo9ooooooooo9o9ooooo99ooooo999ooooooo9oooooooooooooo

[@amielpailan1532]

​@@Terelamanso loo oo kk ooooooloooooololooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo9oo9ooooo99oooo9o9oooooooooooooooooooo see look look l to oooooooololoooooolooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooolloo pp oookooooooooooloo

[@dannychu2014]

I am absolutely impressed with your thorough research into all these historical facts. Very well narrator and explained. Thank you.

[@craigbeasley2959]

Dope video 💯💯💯🐺

[@brianbushue]

great video

[@sayersaveRED]

Good stuff 💯👌🏽

[@forgottenstreets]

We apologize for any mispronounced names. No disrespect is ever intended. For the most part most of our pronunciations are ran by native speakers. Sometimes we mess up lol. Also we would like our viewers to know that some historical facts are simplified for the sake of making a shorter youtube video and making easier to understand for the average viewer, not out of ignorance. No one wants to watch a 2 hour long boring history lesson.

[@jcngokai-76]

I don’t think the Green Gang hasn’t really ended as its remnants still leaves their marks in today’s Taiwanese politics, particularly when a certain author was killed in San Francisco during the mid-1980s, resulted in the decline of Chiang Ching-kuo’s reign of KMT before his death in 1988.

[@forgottenstreets]

Jeff Ng yea i said that at the end lol

[@sharonhennessy5672]

I am in shock. I have original photo displayed 16.39? Mao w banner omg! I have hundreds of photos from this period including beheading. My grandfather was there for years.

[@mogulcitymedia]

Naw you did great job

[@regidio5083]

Ngl I would not mind a 1 to 2 hour vid while ironing because it is relaxing

[@richrcwx1685]

Really interesting 👍

[@michaelmcgee2026]

Honestly my favorite channel I subscribe too

[@kaiser1963]

This channel the 🐐

[@reneedennis2011]

Good video. I've heard about the Green Gang.

[@joefox9765]

I have to commend the narrator for his great wording and keeping the interest without swaying the tone in voice

[@josephineromano4834]

Very interesting documentary:thank you .👍🇦🇺

[@SunKing968]

Great job, thank you! More Shanghai please! How about good ole Captain Pick?

[@andydas09]

Great documentary with rare pics ....

[@user-lt8vw4fe4w]

Ip Mum lived with a Shanghai lady of the night who worked for a Qing Bang Night Club boss escaped from Shanghai to Hong Kong in 1949. Bruce Lee's mother is a Shanghai born lady with German biological father and Euro-Chinese biological mother adopted by a Euro-Chinese mistress of Ho Kum Tong. The Ho Brothers were Rheinland-Dutch-Jewish on paternal side and Shanghainese (Chongmin Island) on maternal side.

[@seeingimages]

Whoa! That's a lot of multicultural diversity in one little place!

[@user-lt8vw4fe4w]

@@seeingimages Bosman abandoned his wife and sons and went back to Europe, so the Ho brothers were brought up culturally as Cantonese in Hong Kong in the 1860s by their mother. The eldest sibling became a concubine of a rich businessman of Fujian descent in Guangzhou, who later helped the Ho brothers launching their businesses. The eldest brother Ho Tung wore only traditional Manchu dress, his son Ho Shai Lai studied in a number of military schools in the UK and France, renounced his British citizenship while in London, joined Chinese military and fought the invading Japanese military during WW2, and retired as a General.

[@budwhite9781]

Tremendous video.

[@kelllefae3026]

My grandad was from shanghai he escaped to Liverpool UK in the 40s working for blue funnel shipping line.. him and 5000 other Chinese men, many married n settled with kids, vanished in 1946 to 1949... wives believed they abandoned... would be 50 years before uk official secrets act released documents that they were secretly n forcibly deported in the hulls of ships they previously manned...we still trying to find what happened to them! ..... (Google liverpools secretly deported .) At the time uk authorities branded them shanghai mafia ....

[@kelllefae3026]

@Chief Sitting American we have a documentary on KZbin... c.g.t.n. secret betrayal ..

[@ChineseKiwi]

My great-grandfather was a successful seaweed farmer in the Pearl River Delta (seaweed had many uses at that time vs. now) who often visited Shanghai for business dealings, in which he sold to the middlemen who then sold to the International Settlement. I wonder if he had any interactions with the Green Gang.....

[@forgottenstreets]

Most likely

[@vicnys6186]

If i am not mistaken during your great grandfather era .. it should be at around a hundred years ago ... it was then the Green Gang era ... Green Gang control every trades ... from street peddlers to top notch business. Every trades had to pay a commission to the Green Gang.

[@tr1bes]

Shanghai is business vocal port from the rest of China to internal trade. More than lkely your great grandfather has to deal with them. Curruptions run rampant when dealing with extreme capitalist individually. Even if it's communism, it's more of government associated.

[@ms.annthrope415]

Read "Shanghai" by Stella Dong and "Chinese Triad" by Booth Martin. Good history on life in old Shanghai and thr rise and influence of the Triads.

[@KarrYoung]

recently found out my grandfather is from shanghai. He grew up there during this period and escaped to hong kong. I don't have much information on him, but he was able to speak fluent english during that time period as well as chinese.

[@santoshvaidya8358]

Great!

[@eldraque4556]

quality documentary

[@SeanDJames]

Now this was a great history lesson. Definitely one of my Top 3 vids on this channel.

[@pauliedibbs9028]

AGREED!

[@matthewfitch1990]

opium was legal , very over dramatized

[@keirlogan5292]

Good vid, I'm from the north east and was curious if you heard about the white guy who ran with the triads. I'm pretty aure he was from Boston, would be a cool story

[@0MVR_0]

帮(幫) can translate to syndicate to better reflect the formality and entrenchment. The distance between urban industry and logistics versus black market was paper thin and most of the organizations held origins in legal labor that discovered profitability within the informal sector.

[@CapybaraTeam]

this is type of history that is very interesting

[@hoalanho]

I wish the Chinese had kept thier unique fashion style that we see in this time period, a great blend of East and West. So cool.

[@warmonger8799]

EPIC 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@nicolasbrendline6349]

Cool Chanel

[@eg50000]

Pls do one regarding Hung Mun ..

[@Daoland-Everywhere]

The character for qing 清 in fact means azure and clear, not green. It is the same is with green tea which comes in 2 qualities: green-lu and azure-Qing. In white lotus and daoism it also indicates spiritual clarity, or hear maybe clear consciousness gang

[@KrazeDiamond]

Do one on the Hong Clan.

[@pauliedibbs9028]

Du Yuesheng reminds me so much of Lucky Luciano!!! So many similarities!

[@drixg555]

The real-life basis for the Green Gang featured in Fist of the Blue Sky, prequel to Fist of the North Star.

[@xtraxtrathirsty]

amazing..

[@JohnSmith-bm6zg]

Excellent video. There is in fact more truth about Chinese history here than in the so called history books.

[@eb8348]

Sad lives of these prominent criminals. Rich and powerful yet died in shame

[@ivankong3992]

That why only communist can save china

[@_Wai_Wai_]

8:53 Many European Countries never abolished their Monarchies.

[@lawkaion]

The title Green Gang 青幫, is not correct, 青 in old China is more likely refer to blue, ( Tien Qing) this is the colour of the hair scarf/ turban that boatman and harbour worker wear.

[@johnwright9372]

Interesting that later in Hong Kong the triads had many police officer members. The station sergeants ran protection rackets extorting bribes from gambling, drugs and prostitution.

[@Eidelmania]

No wonder Chinese immigrants don't trust the police....

[@jamesmichaeljean7840]

They made a movie about it, but i wouldn't say "many", as both are hard to get in, as hard as getting into the cia or kgb as a mole. 😂

[@isaack2084]

Another great video!! One is curious if Huang Jinrong became a lead detective due to his good police work and crime solving abilities or if he was just a great fixer who pinned crimes on compromised and politically unprotected people. Guess that’s where the “by any means necessary” comes in. Lol

[@cherimolina2121]

Seems to me, the US politicians emplimented these principles here. Alphabet agencies are notorious for these things.

[@michaelcosta2708]

More Chinatown and tung story’s please

[@tantengchai1661]

In many China town today this kind of history repeats itself . If there are society with free will for political advantage to commands victory , the innocent must suffer . Sometimes legalistic law produce monkeys and thieves because man cannot be transformed by the self . We need to have a strong unchalengable spiritual heart to tranform the self and others . God have this authority and power in His will to empower us If we believe and trust God to bring people to surrender . God created tge world by His Will in grace to love humanity He created to be righteous . Only God alone can destroy the root cause If we meditate His love in His Will in mercy and righteousness to overflows in our hearts ( spiritual heart - made pure by God ) to obey His commands . Meditate : John 1 verse 1 , Ephesians 3 verses 16 to 20 . 1 Timothy 1 the heart of Jesus . Thank You FatherJesus for Your kingdom comes Your Will be done on earth to heal and bless the enemy to surrender to You . Thank You for adding all the good things to transform us to the heart of Jesus . Amen .

[@hendetta]

Came for the show, but stayed for the story. Thanks for the awesome content.

[@davidtuazon5381]

In elementary we had a gang called the green ranger gang. No relation, we just really liked it when Tommy beat up the other power rangers

[@Bg54321]

My grandfather had strong ties with the green gang. Some of the stories i could share are crazy

[@lilmunchy-bhzmemphis]

I want to hear one

[@RP-mm9ie]

Do one on Shanghai nitelife

[@answerman9933]

What about the Axe Gang?

[@bleachforlife]

Yo can do one about the bamboo Union? Thanks bro

[@forgottenstreets]

Definitely

[@cherubimcherubim9515]

Good history, a lot migrated to south east asia Malaysia, singapore etc to escape the lawlessness. Today there's 50 millions overseas Chinese.

[@Calabrese28]

I would love to see a documentary on the Chinese gangs during the war with Japan in the 30s and 40s.

[@michaelmontano4280]

Damn right these are forgotten streets! I've never heard of this gang.

[@meilinchan7314]

I did when I was a kid. Not that my parents told me anything about them, most Chinese shun the gangs if they can do so.

[@jonquerettess]

What word does the narator use at 2.44? Bow workers? Poor workers? English is not my mother tongue and I cannot understand which word he uses nor undersrand what was the peoblem in the yellow river?

[@forgottenstreets]

Boat workers

[@jonquerettess]

@@forgottenstreets thank you👍and thank you for your interesting and instructive video!

[@exas4791]

It’s the same in every culture of the east and west. Families became unduly rich or powerful because they indulged in various criminal activities at the expense of others.

[@solidarityrail2551]

So there is 1 part you got kinda wrong. The communists did not get rid of the gangs. Infact triads have been helping the communist party out in honk kong

[@meilinchan7314]

Taiwan government turfed out the Triads at the end of the Cold War. Yes, the Triads are still present. But they are now affiliated with CCP, and their main bases are in China and Southeast Asia.

[@Truthseeker371]

Just like Maffia and Yakuza, these gang syndicates were originally formed for the mutual community help. Then, they corrupted and went into crimes. Our sixuety needs them, as we say in Japan the social vice. The Authorities are bit always righteous.

[@eddieparker945]

The Lady Boss of Shanghai was probably inspired a couple of femme crime figures I seen in the Kung Fu movies.

[@Canoby]

@8:28 can you imagine how differently history would have played out had the whole Chinese democracy notion played out? Even if they had still adopted Communism but went with a more Western form of representative democracy instead of the more totalitarian Soviet style system, I do think China would be significantly more influential and perhaps even affluent than it is now. It certainly doesn't lack for manpower or resources.

[@emilianosintarias7337]

to be honest, the opposite would've happened. They were marked for 3rd world status by the west, and would be like africa today. They grew massively and became a united country under Mao, and that set up the infrastructure for Deng and where they are today. If they set up what you describe,, the democracy element would've probably encouraged foreign controlled sabotage or civil war. And if neither of those happened, if they avoided being undermined and kept things stable, then you get the other problem. Since a democratic form of chinese communism would've done much better on many levels, and thus become a super attractive example to much of the 3rd world, that would've caused western armies to invade to stop the spread of that model. Damned if you do , damned if you don't.

[@pykemid3954]

@@emilianosintarias7337 definitely the africa of asia and probably divided to many part like soviet russia hahaha

[@RedCommunistDragon]

@@pykemid3954Could you really call China the “Africa of Asia” when almost all Asian countries similar to Africa were 3rd World… Well 3rd World by today’s definition (undeveloped/exploited).

[@meilinchan7314]

Representative democracy was nearly nonexistent, because the government was so weak to begin with. And if there were indeed elections, votes could be purchased or stolen outright at the point of a gun. Democracy might've been possible, had Jiang won the civil war but alas, it was not to be. Still one should not lose hope ....

[@RedCommunistDragon]

@@meilinchan7314 Well after Chiang lost the war and was exiled to Formosa (Taiwan) he ruled the island with an iron fist so I highly doubt democracy would have been in place with him at the helm. Plus even before the civil war he had large influence over gangs such as the Green Gang in China.

[@Fotosynthesis858]

I know about the “White Lotus” because of Call of Duty DMZ when I had to do the white lotus mission! 🤣

[@thedieseldiet]

Did you accomplish your mission?

[@johnnyazer5779]

A famous Garth Brooks impersonator said ten years ago, in East Shanghai, the ancient Chinese had good friends in LUO places.

[@jordancooke5980]

Had that man sweeping... utter humiliation

[@justinwang7582]

is it supposed to be called the blue gang?

[@reeserosinfacebookhackedDEAgov]

Officer Vancamp is a Triad Kokomo Police Indiana through the Army Ranger / Horton connection in Washington state aka Leslie Horton and what happened to Christy Horton’s mom or was it Leslie ? Officer Vancamp KPD is the strongest Triad, because the white Japanese demon, but is that a Triad?

[@1stThailand]

My gramps was a importing or exporting salt and built the streets (owned a paving co.) in Shanghai. Made him beyond rich. then the Japanese came and took everything. my story

[@redmoon363]

😂😂

[@ricg3010]

The most powerful gang is in ruling now, The Red Gang

[@ywlee319]

I know people might think you are trying to be funny, but “it’s true”. But if you translate it correctly, it’s called “red green gang”

[@leob8475]

Also known as "scum" gang.

[@lordlee6473]

Nice cheap shot

[@ashtar929]

Not so fast. The blue gang is in control now.

[@dannydinh2281]

Red door

[@amelaamelajiang493]

He said the game of the queen Game. I think 💬. Is square game ......

[@konggreendragon7446]

I think, organised guilds should be the correct word. In the old days, you have SALT MERCHANTS, SECURITY COURIERS, PROCELAIN, SILK and so on so forth. It was rendered "criminal" only after public scrutiny and state denounciation as "ILLEGAL". However like prostitution, opium, tobacco, liquor, chinese herbal medicine are very lucrative and become the core of any group that seeks dominance in the politics of a city, territory, state or commonwealth. During the Ming dynasty, the salt merchants, security courier-bank were key to the wealth of that dynasty. In the Tang dynasty it was the Silk, spice, porcelain, bullion that made the Tang great, so great Changan (Xian today) was the first city in the world to have a population exceeding 1 million people. While it is rational to follow present NARRATIVES to label guilds, it was not so in the old days where example Flower houses were legitimate guilds and an opportunity to finance state, and make participants well off. It's fun to watch your video and the narrative.

[@meilinchan7314]

It is funny he mentioned the White Lotus society, because they had links to the Ming dynasty.

[@benfried3745]

The Green Gang was the result of the Blue and Yellow gangs merging. They were known for being naughty

[@beverlyledbetter4906]

I find these Asian documentaries very enjoyable, because I know so little about them!😶

[@og_3rd_st_saint_gat]

what happend to the orignal

[@forgottenstreets]

Technical difficulties

[@og_3rd_st_saint_gat]

@@forgottenstreets oh i thought youtube was bugging

[@towl222]

The part where gangsters fled China to Taiwan is interesting! Reading that they smuggled estimation of up to 115 tons of gold and had individuals involved in government. Very interesting! So gangsters helped build up Taiwan in that time. I wonder if you ask Taiwanese person about this they know the history?

[@antmikedavis]

Isn’t that actually a mugshot of Waxey Gordon?

[@forgottenstreets]

Ah yes it is. There was a mistake. Theres a real picture of jacob online, i accidentally chose the wrong one.

[@antmikedavis]

@@forgottenstreets Gotcha, great video though.

[@tubelilous]

The question is whether is the name green gang or really blue gang?

[@noahpeng1689]

"青qing" in Chinese, a more beautiful color extracted from blue dye. The color of the sky. not （绿lv）green or （蓝lan）blue

[@MbisonBalrog]

Is Green Gang considered Triads? They have no lineage to the tiandihui.

[@voongnz]

Crazy to think that through Sun Yat Sen, many cities around the world with any chinese community would have helped disband the 4000+ y/o monarchy, and helped fund it indirectly through normal business dealings in the community which sent the money back to his cause.

[@MukesBoy]

Im not making a joke here at all. Im just saying at 3:38, the 3rd fellow looks a lot like Danny Trejo.

[@tutran8363]

If you translate correctly it's "blue gang".

[@doydoytyler1007]

Power puff girls defeated them. Right?

[@christophermoody6840]

Stopping your run is one of the reasons they call is Gang Green... The other reason, We gotta Gang of Green." - Jay-Z

[@markmk44]

gang members were all forced to the gangs in order to survive the chaotic times and to feed their families... Like all countries, the thriving of gangs relate to an injustice and frayed society. The lack of opportunities and reward for hardwork all contribute to the rise of gangs.. it is reflecting a society problem..

[@gondwana6303]

Your suggestion that no other gangs in China are of scale is most likely false. There is a symbiotic relationship between Chinese gangs wherever the CCP decides to create a presence overseas. Check out Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries as well as the South Pacific islands.

[@philipsmi-lenguyen8155]

Oh. That's why i was in a gang called The Green Gang in my dream.

[@JvP-tj9bt]

You have a history of heavy drug and alcohol use don't you?