Cingbang started in Emperor Yongjheng's reign, which was about the same time when the Hongmen organization was formed. Founders of this organization were a group of people who worked in the waterway transportation business. It was said that in the third year of the Emperor Yongjheng's reign, the government openly advertised for the need of an efficient group to convey goods to the capital through the Grand Canal. Three members of the Tiandihui, Wong Yan, Cian Jian and Pan Cing responded to this advertisement and started conveying goods. Later on they and their coworkers organized a group called Ancinghui, which was the forerunner of Cingbang. Because they wore blue turbans and worked on the waterway conveyances, they were called Cingbang, "Cing" meaning "blue", or Caobang, "Cao" meaning "waterway transportation." This organization and Hongbang, which was also called Yanbang, the salt gang, because of the salt business they did, were hostile to each other.

       The Cingbang organization had more rules than the Hongbang had. The former regarded the relationship between disciple and master to be similar to that between son and father, and members in this organization used 'tudi,' disciple, and 'shifu,' master, to address each other. A hierarchy system existed in Cingbang, and every member was given a Chinese character representing the member's generation in the organization.

       The rite of formally acknowledging someone to become a master was very complicated. After the routine of the rite came to an end, the master would use a set of standard words to preach to the new disciple.

       The head of Cingbang was called "Laotouzih" meaning the old man. The members called each other "Shuishou" meaning "sailor." There were thirty common rules required by members to obey, and each waterway port had its own rules. Because of these rules, Cingbang was rigidly organized, and it eventually became more influential than Hongbang.

       Hostilities between Hongbang and Cingbang ebbed at the end of the Cing Dynasty. The power of Cingbang reached its highest peak in the beginning of the Republican Period, because it helped the revolutionary party to dethrone the Cing Dynasty. Many former members of Hongbang joined Cingbang, and together they were called Cinghongbang. Du Yuesheng, a prominent character known by his nickname "Emperor of Shanghai" had an organization belonging to Cingbang. However the disciplines of Cingbang deteriorated, and this well-organized society was involved with various kinds of wrongdoings such as smuggling, drug dealing and running gambling dens, so society was seriously damaged.