The incident was caused by the suppression of the Tiandihui by the Qing government, and affected central Taiwan, spreading as far north as Dajia and as far south as Chiayi.

Although the rebellion was led by Tai Chao-chuen (Chinese: 戴潮春; Taiwanese: Tè Tiâu-tshun), many rich and powerful people from all over Taiwan, like Lin Ri-cheng and Hung Tsung, were also involved.

In addition, many powerful local leaders participated in the rebellion, causing the Qing to initially rely on the militia of the Wufeng Lin and other clans.

From his grandfather Dai Shenbao, not only was a landlord in the Sizhangli area of Changhua County with a wealthy family background, but he also had good relations with the government, traditionally holding the position of "Draft Scribe" in the Northern Route Assistant Commander's office.

Due to the prevailing poor security, local order was often maintained by these training groups, attracting wealthy families to join, and leading to a significant increase in the Tiandihui membership.

However, on April 15, just as the government forces were going to battle with several thousand members of Tiandihui at Dadun, Lin Richeng defected and killed Qiu Yuejian.

Additionally, because of their role in quelling the uprising, the Wufeng Lin family was granted the exclusive right to purchase camphor throughout Fujian Province (which included Taiwan at the time).

During the incident, Tai Chao-chuen created nursery rhymes, forged talismans, and personally engaged in farming, emulating the behavior of an emperor and the concept of celestial.