On August 4, 1900, the soldiers of the Eight-Nation Alliance left the city of Tianjin to march to Beijing to relieve the Siege of the Legations.

The army consisted of approximately 20,000 troops from the following countries: United States, 2,000; Japan, 10,000; Russia, 4,000; Britain, 3,000; France, 800; Germany, 200; Austria and Italy, 100.

The Chinese retreated approximately 12 miles to Yangcun, where they took up prepared positions between the east bank of the Hai River and a railroad embankment.

The country was flat, with little cover for the attackers except for fields of millet and corn, and the 30-foot-high railroad embankment gave shelter to the Chinese forces.

About 20% of the men fell out of the ranks during the march to Yangcun and several deaths from sunstroke were recorded.

[11] The Battle of Yangcun was over by late afternoon, with the victorious but exhausted Alliance soldiers in control of the battlefield.

The Chinese army had escaped with few casualties, abandoning strong positions as the Alliance troops advanced.

[14] Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the founding father of the Republic of China and of the Kuomintang party praised the Boxers for fighting against Western Imperialism.