The United Bamboo Gang ( UBG ; Chinese : 竹聯幫 ; pinyin : Zhúliánbāng ), also known as the Bamboo Union , is the largest of Taiwan 's three main criminal Triads . They are reported to have roughly 20,000 members. The membership consists largely of waishengren (Mainland Chinese) and has had historic ties to the Kuomintang ; they are said to be motivated as much by political ideology as by profit. They are known to simply call themselves "businessmen", but in reality, are also involved in organized killings and drug trafficking. The gang gained global notoriety when it became directly involved in politics in the early 1980s.
74-553: The Bamboo Union was formed in the 1957 by waishengren children who wanted to protect themselves from threats by majority Hoklo children. The first members lived on Bamboo Forest Road in Jung Ho City, Taipei County, now Yonghe District of New Taipei City. Its first members were made up of mainland Chinese teens who joined to secure a place in Taiwan after 1949. The mainland Chinese were regarded as an unwelcome minority that
148-499: A female householder with no husband present, and 33.5% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.20. In the city, the population age distribution was as follows: The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.5 males. The median income for
222-587: A great share of the heroin trade that expanded into the world market. This deal made the Bamboo Union very powerful in Taiwanese politics and social culture, but they were also being watched by major countries like the United States. The gang's powerful relationship with the "Iron Blood Patriots" came to an end after journalist Henry Liu was murdered on 15 October 1984. In the 1980s the gang was sold
296-455: A household in the city was $ 53,000 and the median income for a family was $ 58,465. Males had a median income of $ 35,511 versus $ 27,554 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 22,060. About 6.6% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.4% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over. According to a 2004 study, Las Vegas has one of the highest divorce rates. The city's high divorce rate
370-544: A large quantity of firearms by the corrupt governor of a province of the Philippines. In 1980, the daughters and mother of one of the leading members of the opposition, Lin Yi-hsiung , were brutally killed in their home. The following year, Chen Wen-chen , a Taiwan-born statistics professor teaching at Carnegie Mellon University , was killed and his body dumped in the grounds of National Taiwan University . At around
444-416: A man and wounding another at a Los Angeles karaoke bar. In October 2015, the Bamboo Union was linked to the kidnapping of Hong Kong businessman Wong Yuk-kwan. One of the most significant events that have taken place in the Bamboo Union's legacy was the death and funeral of their former leader Chen Chi-li . The former leader had maintained a very complicated relationship between the criminal organization and
518-496: A movement to encourage xeriscapes . Another part of conservation efforts is scheduled watering days for residential landscaping. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant in 2008 funded a program that analyzed and forecast growth and environmental effects through 2019. Las Vegas has a subtropical hot desert climate ( Köppen climate classification : BWh ), typical of the Mojave Desert in which it lies. This climate
592-487: A share of the lucrative trade in gambling, prostitution, and drugs. By this stage, the Bamboo Union was fast developing into a transnational crime syndicate or "triad" . For example, leader Chang An-lo , nicknamed "White Wolf," moved to Las Vegas in 1968 to study and keep order of the Bamboo Union's expanding empire, particularly in the Chinatowns of California and the gambling halls of Las Vegas. The Bamboo Union
666-597: Is "mainlander", although some waishengren find this translation uncomfortable since many of them have lived in Taiwan their entire lives, and the term may lead to possible confusion with residents of the People's Republic of China . Likewise, the translation of benshengren as "native Taiwanese" leads to possible confusion with Taiwanese indigenous peoples . Due to the chaotic nature of the Kuomintang retreat to Taiwan ,
740-591: Is 95 °F (35 °C) on July 19, 2005, and July 1, 2013. The official record cold daily maximum is 28 °F (−2 °C) on January 8 and 21, 1937. July 2024 was the hottest month ever recorded in Las Vegas, with its highest recorded mean daily average temperature over the month of 99.9 °F (38 °C), its highest recorded mean daily maximum temperature of 111.5 °F (44 °C), and its highest recorded mean nightly minimum temperature of 88.3 °F (31 °C). Due to concerns about climate change in
814-581: Is abundant in all seasons. December is both the year's coolest and cloudiest month, with an average daytime high of 56.9 °F (13.8 °C) and sunshine occurring during 78% of its daylight hours. Winter evenings are defined by clear skies and swift drops in temperature after sunset, with overnight minima averaging around 40 °F (4.4 °C) in December and January. Owing to its elevation that ranges from 2,000 to 3,000 feet (610 to 910 m), Las Vegas experiences markedly cooler winters than other areas of
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#1732787155940888-518: Is approximately 2,030 ft (620 m) above sea level, though the surrounding peaks reach elevations of over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) and act as barriers to the strong flow of moisture from the surrounding area. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has an area of 135.86 sq mi (351.9 km ), of which 135.81 sq mi (351.7 km ) is land and 0.05 sq mi (0.13 km ) (0.03%)
962-551: Is credited as the first non- Native American to encounter the valley, in 1829. Trader Antonio Armijo led a 60-man party along the Spanish Trail to Los Angeles , California, in 1829. In 1844, John C. Frémont arrived, and his writings helped lure pioneers to the area. Downtown Las Vegas's Fremont Street is named after him. Eleven years later, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chose Las Vegas as
1036-635: Is known internationally for drug smuggling, human trafficking, and silencing journalists as far away as Northern California. Waishengren Waishengren , sometimes called mainlanders , are a group of migrants who arrived in Taiwan from mainland China between the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II in 1945, and Kuomintang retreat and the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949. They came from various regions of mainland China and spanned multiple social classes. The term
1110-435: Is marked by significant diurnal temperature variation . While less extreme than other parts of the state, nighttime lows in Las Vegas are often 30 °F (16.7 °C) or more lower than daytime highs. The average hottest night of the year is 90 °F (32 °C). The all-time record is at 95 °F (35 °C). Las Vegas winters are relatively short, with typically mild daytime temperatures and chilly nights. Sunshine
1184-471: Is not wholly due to Las Vegans themselves getting divorced. Since divorce is easier in Nevada than in most other states, many people come from across the country for the easier process. Similarly, Nevada marriages are notoriously easy to get. Las Vegas has one of the highest marriage rates of U.S. cities, with many licenses issued to people from outside the area (see Las Vegas weddings ). The primary drivers of
1258-431: Is often seen in contrast with benshengren , which refers to Hoklo and Hakka people in Taiwan who arrived prior to 1945 who had lived under Japanese rule . The term excludes other ethnic Chinese immigrants (e.g. from Malaysia or Hong Kong) and later immigrants from mainland China. The formal definition of a waishengren was someone living in Taiwan whose ancestral home , which is passed down through one's father,
1332-535: Is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the seat of Clark County . The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert , and second-largest in the Southwestern United States . Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city , known primarily for its gambling , shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife , with most venues centered on downtown Las Vegas and more to
1406-399: Is typified by long, extremely hot summers; warm transitional seasons; and short winters with mild days and cool nights. There is abundant sunshine throughout the year, with an average of 310 sunny days and bright sunshine during 86% of all daylight hours. Rainfall is scarce, with an average of 4.2 in (110 mm) dispersed between roughly 26 total rainy days per year. Las Vegas is among
1480-568: Is understood to partner with the Japanese yakuza and multi-ethnic triad like Sam Gor syndicate, and the leaders of these groups including Tse Chi Lop , both for drug trafficking and money laundering. Because of the mainland origins of its membership, the Bamboo Union developed close links with military intelligence and security agencies. It participates in many illegal activities like security services, debt collection, loan sharking, gambling dens, hostess clubs, restaurants, and small businesses. It
1554-506: Is water. After Alaska and California, Nevada is the third most seismically active state in the U.S. It has been estimated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) that over the next 50 years, there is a 10–20% chance of an M6.0 or greater earthquake occurring within 50 km (31 mi) of Las Vegas. Within the city are many lawns, trees, and other greenery. Due to water resource issues, there has been
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#17327871559401628-640: The 2010 Census , the racial composition of Las Vegas was as follows: Source: The city's most populous ethnic group, non-Hispanic Whites, have proportionally declined from 72.1% of the population in 1990 to 47.9% in 2010, even as total numbers of all ethnicities have increased with the population. Hispanics or Latinos of any race make up 31.5% of the population. Of those 24.0% are of Mexican, 1.4% of Salvadoran, 0.9% of Puerto Rican, 0.9% of Cuban, 0.6% of Guatemalan, 0.2% of Peruvian, 0.2% of Colombian, 0.2% of Honduran and 0.2% of Nicaraguan descent. According to research by demographer William H. Frey using data from
1702-454: The 2010 United States Census , Las Vegas has the second-lowest level of black-white segregation of any of the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas after Tucson, Arizona . Of the city's Asian residents, according to the city's Asian Chamber of Commerce, Filipinos make up the largest ethnic population within Vegas with over 200,000 in the city. Native Hawaiians are also a major demographic in
1776-578: The Kuomintang . Another category consists of refugees, who were hastily evacuated during the Kuomintang retreat. Some others, such as Ma Ying-jeou , arrived in the years after the retreat, for example through Hong Kong . About 40% of waishengren settled in the Taipei area, with another 25% settling in Kaohsiung , Keelung , Taichung and Tainan . Historically, waishengren elites dominated
1850-547: The Las Vegas Strip just outside city limits. The Las Vegas Valley as a whole serves as the leading financial, commercial, and cultural center for Nevada. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city had 641,903 residents in 2020, with a metropolitan population of 2,227,053, making it the 25th-most populous city in the United States. The city bills itself as the Entertainment Capital of
1924-420: The Mojave Desert and the adjacent Sonoran Desert that are closer to sea level. The city records freezing temperatures an average of 10 nights per winter. It is exceptionally rare for temperatures to reach or fall below 25 °F (−4 °C). Most of the annual precipitation falls during the winter. February, the wettest month, averages only four days of measurable rain. The mountains immediately surrounding
1998-717: The Northern Club (now the La Bayou ) opened. The most notable of the early casinos may have been Binion's Horseshoe (now Binion's Gambling Hall and Hotel ) while it was run by Benny Binion . Boyd Gaming has a major presence downtown operating the California Hotel & Casino , the Fremont Hotel & Casino , and the Main Street Casino . The Four Queens also operates downtown along
2072-423: The old City Hall building. Las Vegas is the county seat of Clark County , in a basin on the floor of the Mojave Desert , and is surrounded by mountain ranges. Much of the landscape is rocky and arid, with desert vegetation and wildlife. It can be subjected to torrential flash floods, although much has been done to mitigate the effects of flash floods through improved drainage systems. The city's elevation
2146-446: The Bamboo Union is disciplined and well organized, complete with rank systems, promotions, and benefits. Senior gang figures are given the honorific suffix "Da Ge", or "Big Brother". According to the junior Bamboo Union "boss" Big Brother Su, the gang is divided into approximately 13 divisions, or tang kou, with names such as "Tiger Division" and "Dragon Division". Within those 13 divisions, there are 68 branches of members. The Bamboo Union
2220-476: The Chinese Nationalist ( Kuomintang ) regime. He died of cancer in 2007 and his funeral brought more than 10,000 mourners. His mourners included a number of politicians from Taiwan's still-young democracy which has struggled to shrug off long-standing links to the criminal underworld. Fellow gangsters said that Chen did not understand why the government would treat a patriot like him as a criminal. He
2294-669: The Fremont Street Experience, was granted variances to allow bars to be closer together, similar to the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego, the goal being to attract a different demographic than the Strip attracts. The Golden Gate Hotel and Casino , downtown along the Fremont Street Experience, is the oldest continuously operating hotel and casino in Las Vegas; it opened in 1906 as the Hotel Nevada. In 1931,
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2368-597: The Las Vegas Valley accumulate snow every winter, but significant accumulation within the city is rare, although moderate accumulations occur every few years. The most recent accumulations occurred on February 18, 2019, when parts of the city received about 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5.1 cm) of snow and on February 20 when the city received almost 0.5 inches (1.3 cm). Other recent significant snow accumulations occurred on December 25, 2015, and December 17, 2008. Unofficially, Las Vegas's largest snowfall on record
2442-419: The Las Vegas economy are tourism, gaming , and conventions, which in turn feed the retail and restaurant industries. The major attractions in Las Vegas are the casinos and the hotels, although in recent years other new attractions have begun to emerge. Most casinos in the downtown area are on Fremont Street , with The STRAT Hotel, Casino & Skypod as one of the few exceptions. Fremont East , adjacent to
2516-657: The National Security Bureau and the Intelligence Bureau. Gangsters also served as close aides to Chiang Hsiao-yung . Bamboo Union gangsters were even admitted to military, police, and intelligence academies by the KMT, this allowed gangsters to rise to the very top of government. In the early 1980s, the gang became even more powerful when they joined hands with the "Iron Blood Patriots" to carry out missions overseas. In return, both gangs were offered
2590-504: The Republic of China to Taiwan and its aftermath. Recent immigrants to Taiwan from China are not considered waishengren , but make up a separate social category. Due to significant intermarriage between waishengren and benshengren families, it is difficult to precisely define the distinction in later generations. The terms waishengren and benshengren pose some interesting difficulties in translation; most academic literature uses
2664-507: The Taiwanese Independence Movement in the 1990s. Although no longer dominating the government, waishengren elites still make up a large fraction of bureaucrats and military officers. On the other hand, many of the soldiers and refugees who arrived with the Kuomintang came without their families. Finding themselves destitute in an alien land with no relatives, some of them turned to violent crime or suicide. In
2738-475: The World , and is famous for its luxurious and extremely large casino-hotels. With over 40.8 million visitors annually as of 2023, Las Vegas is one of the most visited cities in the United States . It is a top-three U.S. destination for business conventions and a global leader in the hospitality industry , claiming more AAA Five Diamond hotels than any other city in the world. Las Vegas annually ranks as one of
2812-570: The areas on and near the Strip, which are actually in the unincorporated communities of Paradise and Winchester . The area was named Las Vegas , which is Spanish for "the meadows", as it featured abundant wild grasses, as well as the desert spring waters needed by westward travelers . The city is often simply called "Vegas". Nomadic Paleo-Indians traveled to the Las Vegas area 10,000 years ago, leaving behind petroglyphs. Ancient Puebloan and Paiute tribes followed at least 2,000 years ago. A young Mexican scout named Rafael Rivera
2886-648: The city was nicknamed the "Atomic City" . Residents and visitors were able to witness the mushroom clouds (and were exposed to the fallout) until 1963 when the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty required that nuclear tests be moved underground. In 1955, the Moulin Rouge Hotel opened and became the first racially integrated casino-hotel in Las Vegas. During the 1960s, corporations and business tycoons such as Howard Hughes were building and buying hotel-casino properties. Gambling
2960-620: The city, with some Hawaiians and Las Vegas residents calling the city the "ninth island of Hawaii " due to the major influx of Hawaiians to Vegas. There is an Ethiopian community in Las Vegas. The 2010 census showed the city contained 583,756 people, 211,689 households, and 117,538 families residing. The population density was 4,222.5/sq mi (1,630.3/km ). There were 190,724 housing units at an average density of 1,683.3/sq mi (649.9/km ). As of 2006, there were 176,750 households, of which 31.9% had children under age 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 12.2% had
3034-504: The concept of New Taiwanese implied that waishengren should assimilate into a Taiwanese identity which was separate from the Chinese one. By contrast, the supporters of Chinese unification seemed to believe that all Taiwanese (not just waishengren ) should restore a previously marginalized Taiwanese identity without antagonizing a larger pan-Chinese identity. Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas , colloquially referred to as Vegas ,
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3108-510: The downtown area. In 1911, Las Vegas was incorporated as a city. The year 1931 was pivotal for Las Vegas. At that time, Nevada legalized casino gambling and reduced residency requirements for divorce to six weeks. This year also witnessed the beginning of construction on nearby Hoover Dam . The influx of construction workers and their families helped Las Vegas avoid economic calamity during the Great Depression . The construction work
3182-468: The exact number of waishengren is unknown. Estimates vary regarding how many waishengren migrated, with most estimates ranging between 950,000 and 2 million, with 1.2 million being the most commonly cited figure in Taiwan. Newly declassified archival data yielded a population of 1,024,233 mainland Chinese immigrants in Taiwan and the Kinmen-Matsu military zones on September 16, 1956. Furthermore,
3256-415: The gang, as members who may not do business with one another will turn to one another in times of crisis. All members paid homage to Chang, who was "recognized" by Taiwan's triads as their "opinion leader" in 1995 and who was held in such esteem that legitimate businessmen ask him to help settle disputes. The gang has a "code of ethics" that has ten rules that all members must follow. The mainland branch of
3330-405: The government hierarchy during the martial law era on Taiwan. The continued influx of waishengren migrants along with the corruption that occurred under Chen Yi 's military government immediately following the Japanese surrender in 1945 caused inflation and economic inequality between the waishengren elites and native benshengren. This along with the subsequent 228 Incident , which resulted in
3404-494: The government, political establishment encouraged under the Chiang government, and economic prosperity which allowed for social mobility for those outside of the political establishment. Intermarriage and a new generation raised under the same environment has largely blurred the distinction between waishengren and benshengren . . Many benshengren women married waishengren, often retired military personnel who came as singles. In
3478-593: The illegal construction of a large number of shantytowns in Taipei. On the other hand, waishengren elites with political connections could often obtain formerly Japanese-owned properties, sometimes at the expense of evicted benshengren who already lived there. Starting in the 1970s, Chinese nationalist dominance of the government began to recede. This was due to a lack of a political or social theory that would justify continued Chinese nationalist dominance, meritocratic policies which allowed local Taiwanese to move up in
3552-559: The late 1960s, the aspirations of the Bamboo Union membership shifted from street-fighting to profiteering. The gang began making a name for itself in the "protection" business and extorting money from local shops and factories, but the gang's treasury overflowed when thousands of well-paid American GIs flocked to Taipei while on R&R from the Vietnam War. Chinese nightclub owners welcomed Bamboo Union members to their premises to banish rival gangs of ethnic Taiwanese trying to carve out
3626-630: The late 1990s, the concept of "the New Taiwanese" became popular both among supporters of Taiwan independence and Chinese unification in order to advocate a more tolerant proposition that waishengren , who sided with the Allies against the reluctant Japanese colony in Taiwan during World War II , are no less Taiwanese than benshengren . However it quickly became apparent that the notion of New Taiwanese meant different things to supporters of independence and unification. To supporters of independence,
3700-588: The late 50s, waishengren crime rates were more than that of benshengren , and would not fall to benshengren levels until the 70s. Likewise, suicide rates for waishengren were double that of benshengren during the 50s. Violent crimes committed by waishengren vagrants caused fear and anger in the local benshengren , and the government often used public executions to assuage the public, especially in extreme and publicized cases such as armed robbery, sexual harassment, or murder. The influx of poor waishengren also put enormous pressure on housing, and resulted in
3774-501: The male to female ratio among the immigrants was 375:100. There are several subgroups of waishengren based on how they migrated. About 26% of non-military waishengren arrived prior to the KMT military retreat. This group consisted of elites, e.g. government officials, businessmen and intellectuals, as well as migrant workers from Fujian. Another significant category consisted of military personnel and their families, as well as soldiers who were press ganged or forcibly conscripted by
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#17327871559403848-446: The murder of several thousand Taiwanese civilians, generated resentment among benshengren and resulted in benshengren excluding waishengren from their social spheres. This exclusion often came in the form of preventing waishengren from using local facilities and purchasing from Taiwanese shops through acts of discrimination. This resentment also influenced the creation of a strong national Taiwanese identity, which eventually led to
3922-461: The official distinction of waishengren versus benshengren since many waishengren were born in Taiwan. Today, in practice the term broadly refers to the cultural group of people who migrated from mainland China to Taiwan starting in 1945 when the Republic of China took control of Taiwan after the Surrender of Japan at the conclusion of World War II , and into the 1950s during the retreat of
3996-537: The peak intensity of summer, overnight lows frequently remain above 80 °F (27 °C), and occasionally above 85 °F (29 °C). While most summer days are consistently hot, dry, and cloudless, the North American Monsoon sporadically interrupts this pattern and brings more cloud cover, thunderstorms, lightning, increased humidity, and brief spells of heavy rain. Potential monsoons affect Las Vegas between July and August. Summer in Las Vegas
4070-460: The procession under the watchful gaze of thousands of police. More than 1,000 police officers were assigned to monitor and videotape the movements of the mourners, a number of whom are 'big brothers' of local gangs. The family spent NT$ 2 million (HK$ 475,000) to charter a China Airlines Airbus plane to transport the body, plus friends and relatives to Taiwan. According to local news media, the family spent at least NT$ 20 million to make sure Chen's funeral
4144-467: The racial counts and placed in their own category) was 40.44% (259,561) White alone (non-Hispanic) , 12.33% (79,129) Black alone (non-Hispanic) , 0.36% (2,291) Native American alone (non-Hispanic) , 4.68% (22,411) Asian alone (non-Hispanic) , 0.40% (1,935) Pacific Islander alone (non-Hispanic) , 0.14% (650) Other Race alone (non-Hispanic) , 2.51% (11,987) Multiracial or Mixed Race (non-Hispanic) , and 23.61% (112,962) Hispanic or Latino . According to
4218-426: The racial makeup (including Hispanics in the racial counts) was 46.05% (295,594) White alone , 12.85% (82,485) Black alone , 1.14% (7,318) Native American alone , 7.23% (46,398) Asian alone , 0.73% (4,662) Pacific Islander alone , 16.99% (109,045) Other Race alone , and 15.02% (96,401) Multiracial or Mixed Race . According to the 2020 U.S. Census , the racial and ethnic makeup (where Hispanics are excluded from
4292-414: The same time, the dissident journalist Henry Liu wrote an unauthorized critical biography of Chiang Ching-kuo , the president of Taiwan. Liu was assassinated in 1984 by members of the Bamboo Union who were subsequently caught and convicted. His murderers, one being "King Duck" Chen Chi-li , were sentenced to life in prison, although Chen and most of the others convicted were paroled by 1991; Tung Kuei-sen
4366-527: The site to build a fort halfway between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, where they would travel to gather supplies. The fort was abandoned several years afterward. The remainder of this Old Mormon Fort can still be seen at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Washington Avenue. Las Vegas was founded as a city in 1905, when 110 acres (45 ha) of land adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks were auctioned in what would become
4440-579: The sunniest, driest, and least humid locations in North America, with exceptionally low dew points and humidity that sometimes remains below 10%. The summer months of June through September are extremely hot, though moderated by the low humidity levels. July is the hottest month, with an average daytime high of 104.5 °F (40.3 °C). On average, 137 days per year reach or exceed 90 °F (32 °C), of which 78 days reach 100 °F (38 °C) and 10 days reach 110 °F (43 °C). During
4514-399: The terms waishengren and benshengren directly. The literal translation of waishengren is "extra-provincial people" while the literal translation of benshengren is "this-province people"; however, these translations are politically loaded since they arose in a historical context when the ruling Kuomintang actively claimed the entirety of China. One English translation of waishengren
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#17327871559404588-724: The top of each hour. Due to the realization of many revitalization efforts, 2012 was dubbed "The Year of Downtown". Projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars made their debut at this time, including the Smith Center for the Performing Arts , the DISCOVERY Children's Museum , the Mob Museum , the Neon Museum , a new City Hall complex, and renovations for a new Zappos.com corporate headquarters in
4662-415: The wake of a 2002 drought, daily water consumption has been reduced from 314 US gallons (1,190 L) per resident in 2003 to around 205 US gallons (780 L) in 2015. See or edit raw graph data . The U.S. Census accounts for race by two methodologies. "Race alone" and "Race alone less Hispanics" where Hispanics are delineated separately as if a separate race. According to the 2020 U.S. Census ,
4736-525: The world's most visited tourist destinations. The city's tolerance for numerous forms of adult entertainment has earned it the nickname " Sin City ", and has made Las Vegas a popular setting for literature, films , television programs , commercials and music videos. Las Vegas was settled in 1905 and officially incorporated in 1911. At the close of the 20th century, it was the most populated North American city founded within that century (a similar distinction
4810-645: Was closely associated with the KMT and the ruling Chiang family. The Bamboo Union was a key part of the KMT's White Terror which allowed the Dictator Chiang Kai-shek to establish control over Taiwanese society. In 2020 government documents from the Taiwan Garrison Command were declassified which shed new light on the closeness of these ties. These documents revealed that before the mid-1980s Bamboo Union gangsters had been knowingly employed by Taiwanese government agencies including
4884-625: Was completed in 1935. In late 1941, Las Vegas Army Airfield was established. Renamed Nellis Air Force Base in 1950, it is now home to the United States Air Force Thunderbirds aerobatic team. Following World War II, lavishly decorated hotels, gambling casinos, and big-name entertainment became synonymous with Las Vegas. In 1951, nuclear weapons testing began at the Nevada Test Site , 65 miles (105 km) northwest of Las Vegas. During this time,
4958-409: Was earned by Chicago in the 19th century). Population growth has accelerated since the 1960s and into the 21st century, and between 1990 and 2000 the population nearly doubled, increasing by 85.2%. As with most major metropolitan areas, the name of the primary city ("Las Vegas" in this case) is often used to describe areas beyond official city limits. In the case of Las Vegas, this especially applies to
5032-473: Was held in grand style. Unlike Japan's yakuza or Italy's mafia , the United Bamboo does not have a strict rank-and-file. Twenty-four members are each led by a big brother or "da ge" with membership comprising gangland enforcers and individual businessmen. Due to its structure United Bamboo and its activities usually fly below the radar. Mutual benefits and obligations underpin the relationships within
5106-559: Was not a normal gangster, but an idealist who had made money to do the right thing. Representatives of Taiwan's three main criminal organizations, the Bamboo Union, the Four Seas Triad and the Celestial Way, were on hand to pay their respects to Mr. Li. Members of Japan's yakuza, dressed in black suits, were also among the guests, while representatives from crime families of Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia and Thailand also joined
5180-528: Was not in Taiwan. By contrast, a benshengren was someone whose ancestral home was Taiwan. By this formal definition, a person born in Taiwan whose father's ancestral home is not in Taiwan is considered a waishengren . Conversely, a person not born in Taiwan whose ancestral home is Taiwan (most notably Lien Chan ) is considered a benshengren . Ancestral homes were eliminated in official records (e.g. on identity cards, household registrations, and passports) in 1996, and replaced with place of birth, which ended
5254-571: Was referred to as "gaming", which transitioned it into a legitimate business. Learning from Las Vegas , published during this era, asked architects to take inspiration from the city's highly decorated buildings, helping to start the postmodern architecture movement. In 1995, the Fremont Street Experience opened in Las Vegas's downtown area. This canopied five-block area features 12.5 million LED lights and 550,000 watts of sound from dusk until midnight during shows held at
5328-699: Was rejected by Hoklo citizens following the end of the Chinese Civil War , when the Nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) government led by Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan. Although the Nationalist Republic of China government continued to hold claims on mainland China after 1949, the mainland was controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, and Taiwan was controlled by the KMT. The Bamboo Union criminal gang began primarily with street-fighting to gain recognition in society. By
5402-408: Was stabbed to death while in prison in 1991; he was the only one convicted for participating in or planning the murder who was not eventually paroled. In July 2009, Bamboo Union hitman Bai Xiao Ye stabbed and slashed a man to death in a Las Vegas, Nevada karaoke bar and wounded two others. In 2013, Bai was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Bai had also been charged with fatally shooting
5476-519: Was the 12 inches (30 cm) that fell in 1909. In recent times, ice days have not occurred, although 29 °F (−2 °C) was measured in 1963. On average the coldest day is 44 °F (7 °C). The highest temperature officially observed for Las Vegas is 120 °F (48.9 °C), as measured at Harry Reid International Airport on July 7, 2024. The lowest temperature was 8 °F (−13 °C), recorded on two days: January 25, 1937, and January 13, 1963. The official record hot daily minimum
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