Prominent politicians and movie stars mingled with darkly clad gangsters to pay tribute to a top Taiwanese triad leader whose funeral in Taipei yesterday had the pomp and circumstance of a king's.
At least 10,000 people, including lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties, lined up before a solemnly decorated funeral home to bid farewell to Chen Chi-li, former boss of the powerful Bamboo Union Gang - one of the biggest triads in the Chinese-speaking world.
Inside, Chen's coffin was laid in front of his giant portrait and flanked by rows of bamboo.
Outside the funeral parlour, more than 1,000 police officers - a record number for a funeral - stood silent watch to prevent gangs from interacting.
Even though the authorities launched a three-day campaign to crack down on crime across the island just before the funeral, gangsters and their bosses turned out in droves to pay tribute.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau estimated about 500 known gang members from Taipei and a further 200 from other parts of the island attended.
Triad groups outside Taiwan also sent representatives. Local media reported Hong Kong triad group Sun Yee On sent more than 30 senior members. Other noted crime organisations included Yakuza from Japan and the Wah Ching Gang from the US. Even rival Taiwanese triads, the Four Seas Gang and Tiendaomeng, dispatched delegates.