The Tongs (堂, literally meeting hall) are ruling committees for the Chinese crime families in both the 3D Universe and the HD Universe of the Grand Theft Auto series, featured in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.
Description[]
The Tongs operate in the United States of America in response to the need for support organizations for new immigrant Chinese, as well as taking charge of protecting their members from violence from other groups.
Some Tongs are fully legitimate organizations, providing charity to needy immigrants, giving them jobs and such. Others are more criminal in outlook, engaging in drug smuggling (opium being the most stereotypical one), prostitution, and racketeering. But usually, the average Tong was composed of both criminal and legitimate branches, with the criminal activity funding the charity (and the charity providing cover for the crimes). Many Triad members would join Tongs on reaching America, causing some Tongs to be strongly influenced by the Triads.
In the 3D Universe, Ran Fa Li leads the Red Gecko Tong on the west coast of the United States.
Not much is know about The Tongs in the HD Universe. They are mentioned multiple times through the events of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, but they never make a physical appearance. They appear to be a council or a very important gang, as representatives of the three major Chinese crime families (Jaoming, Lee and Ming) within the Liberty City Triads mention that the Tongs have a great influence on the choosing of the new Triad boss in Liberty City in 2009.
The Oaths[]
The traditional secret societies have 36 Oaths which basically say, "don't screw over your sworn brothers, or you will get chopped up with lots of blades." The oaths are sealed with the drinking of blood mixed with wine, and the oath-takers enter into a sworn brotherhood with the rest of the members of their organization.
Known Tongs[]
3D Universe[]
Mentioned in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas:
- Red Gecko Tong (West Coast of USA) - Affiliated with the San Fierro Triads.
HD Universe[]
Mentioned in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars:
- The Tongs (East Coast of USA) - Affiliated with the Liberty City Triads.
- Fut Tze and Dau Jonz Tongs
- Wan Kee Tong
- Agency of Centered Intelligence
- Lost Brothers of Junk and Skunk
- The Glorious Council of Headmen
- Dance, Dance, Dance Council of Hardcore Mentalists
Events[]
3D Universe[]
Events of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas[]
In 1992, two crime families within the San Fierro Triads (Mountain Cloud Boys and the Blood Feather Triad) intended to have a meeting with the Tongs; however, the Blood Feathers are wiped out by the Vietnamese gang Da Nang Boys. The Red Gecko Tong leader Ran Fa Li and his translator Su Xi Mu would later be targets of the Da Nang Boys, but are saved by Wu Zi Mu's associate Carl Johnson after luring the Vietnamese assassins to the countryside while Ran Fa Li is being taken away from San Fierro.
HD Universe[]
Events of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars[]
Main article: War in Chinatown
After the Liberty City Triads leader Hsin Jaoming announces his retirement in 2009, the other Triad bosses in Liberty City start a dispute to impress The Tongs into being accepted as the new leader of the Triads, which eventually leads into a war.
Chan Jaoming told Huang Lee in the mission Pimp His Ride that the Tongs favored Zhou Ming, and that to get them to help Chan, he had to win a race to impress them. Later in the game, in Raw Deal, Chan is about to make a drug deal with the Spanish Lords, to broker peace between them and the Triads in an attempt to impress the Tongs, but he is deceived and ambushed by the Spanish Lords.
The Triad boss, Hsin Jaoming, then had to swear an oath to them that "The traitor (the rat working with the FIB to take down the Triads) would be killed no matter whom he was found to be".
Later, Wu "Kenny" Lee gives Hsin the files referring to both Zhou and Chan as the rats, and Wu being named as the new boss sent Huang to kill them (Hit from the Tong and Clear the Pier). After Huang eliminates them both, it turns out that Kenny was the real rat.
References[]
- Adapted from The Triads and the Tongs - TV Tropes