The Hong Kong Connection

From the neon-lit Chinatowns of Britain to the back streets of Hong Kong, we learn why the Triads were feared by so many. The secret societies were formed hundreds of years ago as resistance movements but morphed into organised crime. Triad membership has long been outlawed in Hong Kong, but for decades they were a powerful and insidious force. Their influence stretched across continents, with the groups involved in drugs, extortion, prostitution, armed robbery, kidnappings and loan sharking.

We visit Georgie Pai’s birthplace, a rural village close to the border of mainland China. Through those who knew him and the history of the region, we uncover how he was recruited into Wo Shing Wo and track his rise to the position of Red Pole – an enforcer with an army of disciples. But all that power can come at a cost.

Presenter: Livvy Haydock
Series Producer: Hayley Mortimer
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Producers: Patrick Kiteley & Matt Toulson
Fixer in Hong Kong: Michelle Chan
Music: Andy Simms and Reliable Source Music
Journalism Assistants: Hattie Valentine & Ellie Dover
Commissioning Producer: Sam Proffitt
Commissioning Executive: Lorraine Okuefuna and Louise Kattenhorn
Archive: Drunken Master II: Golden Harvest, Paragon Films, Hong Kong Stuntmen Association. Directed by Chia-Liang Liu and Jackie Chan.