According to historical documents, there were indeed beggars' gangs in the Song Dynasty. In the cities at that time, especially in Datong, the names of "Tuantou" or "Beggars' Head" appeared as the leader and symbol of beggars' gangs, and the names of "Tuantou" were often seen in the scripts and stories of Song and Yuan Dynasties, the most typical of which was "Yu Jin Nvbang" in Wonders of Ancient and Modern Times.
In Hangzhou in the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty, there was a beggar leader who had been passed down for seven generations-"Tuantoujin Boss". He is in charge of beggars in Jincheng, Hangzhou, collecting their money and taking care of their lives accordingly. Jin Tuantou is like a patriarch and an old man, enjoying considerable authority among beggars. With the help of many beggars, he had more money in his pocket and lived a well-off family.
Extended data
The story of the beggar gang
Please Confucius.
It is said that Confucius stopped cooking when he was in the state of Chen, and the relief he received would not starve to death. Therefore, beggars in later generations worshipped Fan Dan as their ancestor. They went door to door to beg for food from merchants who posted Spring Festival couplets on their doors, in order to get back a little favor for their ancestors from Confucius' disciples and grandchildren. Fan Dan in the Eastern Han Dynasty was a famous poor Han in history, and he also had contacts with Confucius in the Spring and Autumn Period. Of course, this is the result of rumors.
There are more and more beggars who worship Zhu Yuanzhang in modern times. Zhu Yuanzhang was the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Hongwu. He was lonely when he was a child and was sent to Yuanjue Temple as a monk. However, the ill-fated Zhu Yuanzhang was expelled from the temple and reduced to begging from house to house. It is said that it started when he hit a cow bone.
People in poor families call the ox bone "Taiping Drum" with thirteen small bronze bells on it. According to legend, one bronze bell can eat one province and thirteen bronze bells can eat thirteen provinces all over the country. At that time, Zhu Hongwu went north to Beijing to take the exam, but failed to become famous. On the way, he suddenly fell ill with typhoid fever. Fortunately, he was saved by a poor family. When he became emperor, Zhu Hongwu issued a decree. Since then, beggars have used the Taiping Drum with thirteen bronze bells.
Reference source: Baidu Encyclopedia-Beggars (Martial Arts Fiction School)