Bandits (Pinyin: tǔ fěi) refer to local armed gangs or their members who make a living by robbing people along the way, robbing homes and houses, etc., and disrupting social order.

Bandits are a group of people who are divorced from production, have no clear political purpose and operate beyond the scope of the law. They usually make a living by robbery and extortion, and have a certain anti-social nature. During the Republic of China, due to the political changes and years of war, the people were in dire straits and bandits were rampant. They had a great influence on the politics, economy and culture of the Republic of China. For the bandits themselves, they are caught between the government and the people. Only by making full use of various social contradictions and finding a balance between various forces can they survive.

Banditism is a social pathology that disrupts the balance and normal development of society and will naturally be opposed by the government and the people. However, the identities of bandits during the Republic of China would change with changes in the political situation. Sometimes they are bandits, sometimes they are officers and soldiers, and their identities are constantly being differentiated and combined. In the special era of the Republic of China, the political environment in which bandits lived was obviously much more favorable than that of bandits in history. Through changes in their identities, they could move freely between the government and the people.