The eight-sided diagram (bagua) contains Hong verses and can often be seen on validated membership certificates of the Chinese secret societies in Singapore, all of which can be traced back to the Tiandihui (Heaven and Earth Society). Membership certificates had to be carried around by members of the secret societies for identification purposes. The Hong verses seen here are telling of the origins of the Tiandihui in China as a secret society that was a sworn fraternity of men with the common aim of overthrowing the Qing dynasty and restoring the Ming. With the influx of Chinese males to Singapore in the 19th century, a local version of the secret society was established to provide mutual aid and support for these Chinese migrants. Various splinter groups (hui or kongsi) subsequently emerged among the main dialect groups.
