These notes about the initiation ceremony of the Tiandihui (Heaven and Earth Society) were made by William Stirling, Assistant Protector of Chinese in Singapore from 1921 to 1931. He complied six pages of notes about the ceremony. The Tiandihui was a local version of the secret society in China, a sworn fraternity comprising men with the common aim of overthrowing the Qing dynasty and restoring the Ming. With increased migration to Singapore in the 19th century, it developed into a form of mutual aid and support for the Chinese migrants. The initiation ceremony of the Tiandihui was an elaborate and dramatic affair that saw the induction of new members into the secret society. It included a series of rituals which culminated in the swearing of a blood oath when new initiates swore lifelong allegiance to the society.
