Tales of the Underworld in Lanzhou

The Underworld of Lanzhou: Stories from the Past, by Yu Mo, tells the little-known story of the underworld's turbulent years in Lanzhou from 1995 to 2005. During that decade, the Li brothers' gang, the Chen brothers' gang, and Ma Bingbing's gang held sway over the city. Their influence was immense and far-reaching, and even more than twenty years later, their names remain well known.

The Li brothers' gang was the strongest and most famous. It had powerful backers, entered the underworld early, and became the source of many who later joined the criminal world. The Chen brothers were known as the “Lanzhou Gambling Kings.” They eagerly recruited followers to expand their power, while also engaging in extortion, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities. Most members of Ma Bingbing's gang were young, with the fierce spirit of street toughs. Their methods were exceptionally brutal: fights and even murder were commonplace, and the level of bloodshed and violence was shocking.

At its heart, the story of these three gangs is a portrait of young people from the bottom of society struggling to survive in a distorted way during a period of economic transition. They tried to break through entrenched class barriers with violence, yet were bound by underworld rules such as “you must defend your pride with blood.” With a delicate touch, Yu Mo vividly portrays the complex humanity and brutal rules of survival of that special era, bringing readers an authentic and harrowing chapter from Lanzhou's underworld past.