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# So I’m a gangster now
- URL: https://www.taiwanquest.com/so-im-a-gangster-now/
- Published: 2026-07-17T17:27:57.000Z
- Updated: 2026-07-19T17:26:07.000Z
- Description: AKA an 8+9…
- Author: Zhen-Kang

Recently I was sharing stories with a local acquaintance, and she asked to see a photo of my scooter.

“Whaaaa!” she exclaimed, as I found one on my phone.

“You’re a *bā jiā jiǔ*! \[Pause…\] Do you know *bā jiā jiǔ*?”

Indeed, I do know *bā jiā jiǔ*. But I was surprised she said that. Because *bā jiā jiǔ* is Taiwanese slang for “gangster”…

## 8+9

In Mandarin Chinese:

- **Eight** is pronounced *bā*
- **Plus** is pronounced *jiā*
- **Nine** is pronounced *jiǔ*

So *bā jiā jiǔ* literally means “8+9”. But how does it also mean “gangster”?

The term comes from the similar-sounding phrase *Bā Jiā Jiàng* (八家將), which directly translates to “Eight Generals”.

These are traditional religious performance troupes that wear elaborate face paint and armor-like costumes.

Here’s a (copyright-free) photo of some of them:

![Close-up of an Eight Generals performer wearing elaborate face paint and looking directly at the camera.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/07/ba-jia-jiang-eight-generals-taiwan.webp)

**Source:* [**Wikimedia Commons*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ba%5FJia%5FJiang%5FTaichung%5F01.jpg)**.*

Over time, the Eight Generals have become associated with Taiwanese criminal gangs. This is because, counter-intuitively, gangs often get involved with temples to enhance their social capital. And temple-based activities can include joining the Eight Generals.

Meanwhile, back in the early days of internet slang, people began writing “Eight Generals” as “8+9”:

- The **8** stands for Eight (*Bā*; 八)
- The **+** stands in for *Jiā* (家), which is pronounced the same way as the word for “plus”
- The **9** replaces the last word, *Jiàng* (將), as a kind of visual pun

Then, because of the sometime-connection between Eight Generals and gangs, over time “8+9” became shorthand for “gangster” as well.

But why did my acquaintance say that I—a cautious, law-abiding, peace-loving scooter owner who’s never had a speeding ticket—am a *bā jiā jiǔ*?

## Ironically, it all comes down to safety

Being risk-averse, I intentionally bought a scooter with:

- ABS brakes
- Traction control
- Always-on LED lights

And I bought a full-face helmet for the same reason.

That’s also why my partner recently took me to a local (non-gangster) temple to pray for motorcycle safety—a ritual that included tying this ribbon to my handlebars for ongoing divine protection:

![A ribbon-style religious talisman tied to scooter handlebars in Taiwan, for scooter safety. The ribbons are red with gold Traditional Chinese characters on them.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/5e/e3/5ee3f160-68a0-49ef-af6f-ec70abc1d13e/content/images/2026/07/motorbike-talisman-in-taiwan.webp)

But it turned out that my safety-based decisions were unexpectedly gangster-forward…

[My SYM MMBCU scooter](https://www.taiwanquest.com/how-to-buy-a-scooter-in-taiwan/), being larger and more powerful than the most common class of scooters in Taiwan, is apparently popular with gangsters.

So too, are full-face helmets.

And ribbons from a temple.

Put these things together and I have, seemingly, when riding with my full-face helmet closed so the people around me can’t see my foreign face, become a Taiwanese gangster.

I asked my partner and friends about this.

Almost universally, they said “I hadn’t thought about that… but yeah.”

## An unexpected benefit

I’ve since hypothesized people may give me more space on the road if they think I’m dangerous.

My friends seem to agree:

I’m living in a (safety-conscious) gangster’s paradise.

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