The daming 大明 means the revival of the Ming dynasty (a sentiment shared by many Chinese secret societies at the time), shuntian 順天 refers to the proverb 順天應時 (to follow the mandate of heaven and comply with the popular wishes of the people), and tianguo 天國 is a nod to the Taiping; a kingdom of God among mortals.

It advocated to return the government to the people through elections and emphasized all men were created equal, all the while retaining the core of Chinese culture and tradition.

Quanfu agreed to raise approximately 500 thousand yuan and convene the Hongmen in Guangdong to support the cause, and named the uprising the Shuntian; Tsan-tai proposed to occupy Guangzhou and call on Yung Wing to be the interim president; Ki-tong promised to bear all militarist capabilities of the state.

Many branch offices were raided by Qing officials shortly after, and more than 20 people associated with the revolutionary state were arrested.

The uprising also helped to establish a much clearer line between the Chinese populace and the Qing government, with the ideas of revolution becoming more favorable among the intellectuals, students, and soldiers of Guangdong and beyond.