The Memorial Hall of the Boxer Uprising (天津义和团纪念馆) in
Tianjin
Tianjin (; ; Mandarin: ), alternately romanized as Tientsin (), is a municipality and a coastal metropolis in Northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the nine national central cities in Mainland China, with a total popu ...
is the only museum dedicated to the
Boxer Rebellion in China. Also known as the Tianjin Boxer Rebellion Memorial, Luzutang Museum, or simply the Boxer Museum, it is located No.18 Hejia Lane, Ruyi'an Street,
Hongqiao District
Hongqiao District () is a district in the city of Tianjin, China. The name of the district derives from the name of a bridge - Dahong Bridge () - on the Ziya River, a tributary of Hai River
The Hai River (海河, lit. "Sea River"), also kno ...
, in Tianjin.
History
The building was originally a
Taoist
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Tao ...
Temple, built in 1719.
Sacrifices were held to honour the immortal
Lü Dongbin
Lü Dongbin (796 CE – 1016 CE) is a legendary Chinese scholar and poet said to have lived during the Tang Dynasty. Whether he actually lived the two hundred and twenty years cannot be determined. Elevated to the status of an immortal in the ...
.
During the
Kangxi period of the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...
, the temple was rebuilt and named "Lüzutang" (吕祖堂).
In 1900, during the
Boxer Rebellion,
Boxer leader
Cao Futian
Cao Futian () was a Chinese nationalist and leader of the Boxers during the Boxer Uprising. He was executed in 1901.
Biography
Little is known of the early life of Cao Futian but he was born during the 19th century, in Jinghai, Zhili province ...
set his headquarters in the old temple.
An altar was built at the temple's main entrance. The Boxer leaders would burn charms, and followers would then drink the ashes mixed in strong wine. They believed this could summon gods and ancient heroes and make them possess their body, rendering them resistant to the bullets fired by the
Eight-Nation Alliance. The
Red Lanterns supposedly stared at the setting sun to gain the ability to invoke lightning.
In 1985, the building was restored and renamed Tianjin Boxer Rebellion Memorial Hall.
Today
The museum is still currently open. Exhibitions are held concerning the Boxer rebellion history and the Boxer leaders and organisation.
References
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Museums in Tianjin
History museums in China
Boxer Rebellion