This notice issued by the Ghee Hin Kongsi, the Hokkien-dominated and largest Chinese secret society in Singapore in the 19th and early 20th century, indicates the specific date of the society’s initiation ceremony. Such ceremonies were an elaborate and dramatic affair comprising a series of rituals which culminated in the swearing of a blood oath, with the newly inducted members pledging lifelong allegiance to the society. Secret societies in Singapore were set up in the 19th century with increased Chinese migration to the British colony to provide mutual aid and support for the migrants. These societies had originated from the Tiandihui (Heaven and Earth Society), which in turn was a local version of the secret society in China that was a sworn fraternity of men with the common aim of overthrowing the Qing dynasty and restoring the Ming. Various splinter groups (hui or kongsi) subsequently emerged among the main dialect groups.
