Hunghutze

— In Manchuria the Hunghutze (Red Beards) grew to a stature and notoriety similar to the Triads in other parts of China (and who were important even to the Kuomintang in China proper).⁴⁴ Although originally the Hunghutze had been 'noble rebels' in the mould of other such groups in Chinese history, by this time they had lost almost all of the veneer of historical respectability⁴⁵ and were associated largely with more venal pursuits such as protection, extortion, robbery, kidnapping and murder.