This membership certificate of the Tsung Peh Society, a Hakka secret society in Singapore that emerged from the Tiandihui (Heaven and Earth Society), can be distinguished by its ornate corners and the esoteric forms in the four triangles in the top and bottom left corners. The meaning of these forms is not known. The local version of the Tiandihui originated from the secret society in China, a sworn fraternity comprising Chinese men with the common aim of overthrowing the Qing dynasty and restoring the Ming. With increased Chinese migration to Singapore, the local society became a form of mutual-aid and support, and various splinter groups (hui or kongsi) subsequently emerged among the main dialect groups.
