The Chee Kung Tong (), or Gee Kung Tong, was a Chinese secret
society
A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...
established in 1880 and holds an active presence still. In earlier years, the society has also been recognized as the "Chinese Masons" and has been identified under various names such as Hongmen (), Hongshuntang (), and Yixingtang ({{zh, 義興堂). The fraternity founded its headquarters in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.
The Chee Kung Tong was established as an all-male
fraternity with the purpose of promoting Chinese
values
In ethics and social sciences, value denotes the degree of importance of something or action, with the aim of determining which actions are best to do or what way is best to live (normative ethics in ethics), or to describe the significance of di ...
, customs, and the ideals of democracy, within a tight-knit network of brotherhood that has ties dating back over three hundred years prior in China. The society is considered the oldest Chinese-rooted organization established in the United States.
[Chee Kong Tong. bostonchinesefreemasons. (n.d.). Retrieved June 30, 2022, from https://www.bostonchinesefreemasons.org/chee-kong-tong ]
History
The Chee Kung Tong are most recognized for their political support of
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen
Sun Yat-sen (; also known by several other names; 12 November 1866 – 12 March 1925)Singtao daily. Saturday edition. 23 October 2010. section A18. Sun Yat-sen Xinhai revolution 100th anniversary edition . was a Chinese politician who serve ...
, who is considered the founding father of the Republic of China. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen began a campaign to overthrow the Manchu rulers of the Qing Dynasty. In 1904, a meeting took place between The Chee Kung Tong and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen in Hawaii. The purpose of the meeting was to rally nationalist support for a future revolution that would take place in 1911.The society also assisted in Dr. Sun Yat-Sen's campaign throughout the United States.
[Chinese Historical Society of New England. (n.d.). Retrieved June 30, 2022, from http://www.chsne.org/ ]
See also
*
China Zhi Gong Party
*
For Public Good Party
References
1880 establishments
Chinese-American culture in San Francisco