天津的义和团运动首先是在静海兴起。清光绪二十六年 (1900)春,受山东义和团民入境影响,静海县各村镇纷纷设坛口,18岁以上男子踊跃入团,甚至五六十岁的老人和十一二岁的少儿,也有加入者,静海成为天津一带最重要的义和团活动地区。
        义和团又称义和拳,以 “扶清灭洋” 为口号,广泛联合各种爱国力量,其中贫苦农民占7成以上,其余为小市民、手工业者、商贩、车夫、船夫、兵弁、杂役、搬运工人等,也有少量富人、文人、宗教人员、会道门人员。全县坛口达二三百个,团民达数万人。并兴起妇女组织红灯照,建起坛口近百个,总人数达2000人以上。
        各团内组织分工略同。总坛首领称老师,均为自封,负责所辖各坛口一切军政事务,传授神法、铺坛。坛口多为一村一个,也有的数小村一个,大村镇有数个或十数个。各坛人数不一,少者十余,多者数百,首领称大师兄、二师兄等,依次排列,均由老师指定,或自封后由老师认可。下设文书、管账、扛旗、吹号、马夫、总管粮草、背负神像、哨探、护坛师等,均由师兄指定。主要坛团有:
        曹福田乾字团。由当兵出身的静海人曹福田,组织静海、青县、庆云、盐山的团民建成,总人数达2万余人,曹福田自任总坛主。团民着黄装,头巾上标有八卦中的符号,或一“乾”字。各坛供奉的总神主为元始天尊、鸿钧老祖、通天教主。

        

·义和团坛口

        张德成坎字 “天下第一团” 。由直隶省新城县白沟河镇 (一说张庄,又说赵张村)船夫出身的张德成所建,统领独流、杨柳青,以及南起沧州北至天津、西起新城东到静海的部分坛口,总人数2万余人。总坛设在独流镇,张德成自任总坛主,委任文武先生、旗手,团民皆着红装。头巾上有八卦符号,或一 “坎”字。
        滕德生离字团。由山东郑家口义和团民滕德生进入静海所建,统领县城东、东南、西的王口镇等40余村镇的坛口。总坛设在于庄子村南娘娘庙内,总人数3000余人。滕德生自为总坛主,委派了二师兄、旗手。
        杨老师离字团。总坛口设在县城泰山娘娘庙 (俗称奶奶庙)内。滕、杨离字团关系密切,常共同行动。团民着红衣、红头巾、红褡膊、红裹腿,间或有系黄、蓝褡膊者。头巾上标有八卦中的符号,或一 “离”字。各坛供奉的总神主与乾字团同。
        红灯照。由12～18岁未婚少女组成,首领称“大师姐” ,其下有“二师姐” 、“三师姐”……均着红短装,持红帕、红扇,入夜提红灯,配合义和团监视坏人、缉查奸细、发动宣传。
        在义和团、红灯照之外,另有: 已婚中年妇女组成的蓝灯照 (一说寡妇组成) ,全身穿着蓝装; 寡妇组成的青灯照 (一说已婚中年妇女组成),全身穿着青衣; 老年妇女组成的黑灯照,全身穿着黑衣; 有乞丐和丧失劳动能力的老人组成的沙锅照,服装颜色无标准,为义和团募集钱、粮,用沙锅做饭供应团民而得名。
        过去的史书没有对这些义和团组织进行记述,新编天津《静海县志》和山西《晋城市志》却弥补了这个历史的缺载,使蓝灯照、青灯照、黑灯照和沙锅照登上了最有权威的地方志书。
        The Yihetuan Movement in Tianjin sprung fromJinghai County. In the spring of 1900,some villagesand towns in Jinghai set up Tankou (branches of theboxer movement) under the influence of migrants fromShangdong Province. Men above 18 were active injoining the movement,which also attracted elder peopleaged between 50s and 60s as well as children aged 11 or12. Jinghai County became the most important area ofthe Yihetuan Movement in Tianjin.
        Yihetuan (also called Yihequan) united patriotsfrom all walks of life under the slogan of "SupportQing Dynasty and Put out Foreign Invaders." Amongthe members of the movement,70 per cent were poorpeasants and the rest were townsfolk,manufacturers,peddlers,carters,boatmen,soldiers,porters,evenincluding some rich people,intellectuals and religionists.There are more than 200 Tankou established in Jinghai,including tens of thousands of participants. Moreover,some woman organizations,such as Hongdengzhao,were also set up in the county.
        The organizations of each General Tankou werealmost the same. The heads of the headquarters namedthemselves as mentors,responsible for the military,political and religious affairs of each Tankou andopening new ones. A Tankou was set up in a largevillage,and several small villages share a Tankou. Alarger town might have several or dozens of Tankous.The size of Tankou ranged from 10 to 100. The headswere Brother No 1,Brother No 2,and so on,who wereappointed or recognized by the mentors. The BrotherNo 1 appointed the accountant,secretary,flagtaker,bugler,horse keeper,provision provider,joss carrier,investigator,branch keeper,etc. Each village of the largeTankou had a group under the group leader. Each grouphad several teams. Each team had 10 members under theteam leader. Small Tankou had only one group withoutfurther division. Powerful General Tankous were:
        Zhang Decheng`s "Kan" General Tankou boasteditself to as "No. 1 Branch." The mentor Zhang Dechengwas a boatman,born in Zhaozhang Village of BaigouTown,Xincheng County,Zhili Province. He governedmost of the groups in Duliu and Yangliuqing and somegroups in the area separated by Cangzhou in the south,Tianjin in the north,Xincheng in the west and Jinghaiin the east. The General Tankou had 20,000 members.The headquarter was in Duliu Town. The first elderbrother in Duliu was Liu Liansheng. All members of theTankou wore red clothes,red vests,red hoods and redlegging. There was a symbol of the Eight Diagrams orthe Chinese character "Kan" on the hood.
        Teng Desheng`s "Li" General Tankou was set up inJinghai County,which had 3,000 members. Teng was aboxer in Shandong Province. He led about 40 Tankousto the east and southeast of the county. The headquarterwas located in the Goddess Temple at YuzhuangziVillage. Teng was the mentor. He appointed the secondelder brother and the flag carrier.
        Mentor Yang`s "Li" General Tankou washeadquartered in the Taishan Goddess Temple in JinghaiCounty. Teng`s and Yang`s "Li" Tankous were close andoften acted together. All members wore red clothes,redvests,red hoods and red legging,sometimes yellow orblue vests. There was a symbol of the Eight Diagramsor the Chinese character "Li" on the hood. Each Tankouoffered sacrifice to traditional Chinese Gods as QianGeneral Tankou.
        The Hongdengzhao was composed of young girlsaged from 12 to 18. Its head was Sister No 1,then SisterNo 2,Sister No 3,etc. All its members wore red clothesand brought red hankerchieves and red fans. Theycarried red lights at night. Their duties were to supervisecivilians,to inspect spies and publicizing the movement.
        Besides the Yihetuan and Hongdengzhao,there werealso some other organizations,such as the Landengzhao,which was composed by widows (or married women),aswell as Heidengzhao and Shaguozhao.
        There were no historical records on these Yihetuanorganizations. But some local chorographies,such as thenewly-compiled Jinghai Annals and Jincheng Annals,reported activities of these organizations.

        

·外国人笔下的义和团战士