Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Non-Fiction 2017 | Page 28

Then, a gangster with even bigger ears, Chiang Kai-Shek of the Kuomintang Party, lured Du and his gang to join forces,
turning them into trigger boys of nuisance politicians. (Truth: Never trust a man with big ears.)
Huang Jinrong, known as “Pockmarked,” was the corrupted Chief of Police in the French Concession who doubled
as Big Eared Du’s partner. Together they operated one of China’s fattest opium syndicates. As the ringleader of
Shanghai’s underground criminal, Huang rose through the ranks as a detective with unrivalled tip-offs. Not surprisingly,
some of his solved cases were staged to enhance his reputation. (Lie: All chiefs of police are trustworthy.)
Zhang Xiaolin was a military academy graduate who joined the Green Gang before Du became leader. When Du
and his boys joined forces with Chiang Kai-Shek’s KMT, Zhang stayed in Shanghai, hoping to seize leadership. After
the war, Zhang was branded a traitor, and after several assassination attempts, he was shot dead by his bodyguard.
(Legend: Zhang once fed one of his mistresses to a tiger.)
6.
Shanghai Massacre of 1927 – White Terror
On April 12, 1927, Chiang Kai-Shek’s Kuomintang forces, supported by the Green Gang and other warlords,
attacked members of the Chinese Communist Party in Shanghai. Hundreds of communists were rounded up, arrested
and tortured, triggering the long bloody Chinese Civil War between the nationalists and the communists. This purge,
known as “White Terror,” led to the deaths of 4,000 communists in Shanghai and up to 50,000 in the aftermath.
After walking through Fascinating Shanghai with its glitzy dance halls, clubs and mega deal making, and Horrible
Shanghai with its gangsters, houses of ill-repute and miles of mass graves, wouldn’t you agree that you, the reader, are the
luckiest of them all? Now go chill out and take a complimentary high tea at the Peace Hotel. Don’t forget to visit our
website: www.experienti altours.com to receive a one-year membership and discover your next fascinatingly horrible (or
horribly fascinating) destination!