Zheng Yi Sao (c. 1775 – 1844), also known as Shi Yang, Shi Xianggu, Shek Yeung and Ching Shih, was a Chinese

pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

leader active in the

South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...

from 1801 to 1810. Born as Shi Yang in 1775 to humble origins, she married a pirate named Zheng Yi at age 26 in 1801. She was named Zheng Yi Sao ("wife of Zheng Yi") by the people of

Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...

. After the death of her husband in 1807, she took control of his pirate confederation with the support of Zheng Yi's adopted son Zhang Bao, with whom she entered into a relationship and later married. As the unofficial commander of the Guangdong Pirate Confederation, her fleet was composed of 400

junks A junk () is a type of Chinese sailing ship characterized by a central rudder, an overhanging flat transom, watertight bulkheads, and a flat-bottomed design. They are also characteristically built using iron nails and clamps. The term applie ...

and between 40,000 and 60,000 pirates in 1805 while still under Zheng Yi command. Her ships entered into conflict with several major powers, such as the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

, the

Portuguese Empire The Portuguese Empire was a colonial empire that existed between 1415 and 1999. In conjunction with the Spanish Empire, it ushered in the European Age of Discovery. It achieved a global scale, controlling vast portions of the Americas, Africa ...

, and the Great Qing. In 1810, Zheng Yi Sao negotiated a surrender to the Qing authorities that allowed her and Zhang Bao to retain a substantial fleet and avoid prosecution. At the time of her surrender, she personally commanded 24 ships and over 1,400 pirates. She died in 1844 at the age of about 68, having lived a relatively peaceful and prosperous life since the end of her career in piracy. Zheng Yi Sao has been described as history's most successful female pirate and one of the most successful pirates in history.

Early life

Zheng Yi Sao was born in 1775 in around

Xinhui Xinhui, alternately romanized as Sunwui and also known as Kuixiang, is an urban district of Jiangmen in Guangdong, China. It grew from a separate city founded at the confluence of the Tan and West Rivers. It has a population of about 735,50 ...

, Guangdong. She was possibly a

Tanka is a genre of classical Japanese poetry and one of the major genres of Japanese literature. Etymology Originally, in the time of the influential poetry anthology (latter half of the eighth century AD), the term ''tanka'' was used to disti ...

, who worked as a

prostitute Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-pe ...

or procurer on a floating Tanka

brothel A brothel, strumpet house, bordello, bawdy house, ranch, house of ill repute, house of ill fame, or whorehouse is a place where people engage in Human sexual activity, sexual activity with prostitutes. For legal or cultural reasons, establis ...

() in Guangdong, but there is no actual proof of this.

Marriage to Zheng Yi

In 1801, Shi Yang married Zheng Yi, a pirate. Zheng Yi was a pirate who fought as a

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

for the

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

ese

Tây Sơn dynasty The Tây Sơn dynasty (; , (chữ Hán: 朝西山; Chữ Nôm: 茹西山), officially Đại Việt (Chữ Hán: 大越), was an imperial dynasty of Vietnam. It originated in a revolt led by three peasant brothers with the surname Nguyễn, r ...

in the Tây Sơn wars and later

Nguyễn Ánh Gia Long (Chữ Hán, Chữ hán: 嘉隆) ( (''Hanoi, North''), (''Ho Chi Minh City, South''); 8 February 1762 – 3 February 1820), born Nguyễn Phúc Ánh (阮福暎) or Nguyễn Ánh (阮暎), was the founding emperor of the Nguyễn dynas ...

(Gia Long), first emperor of the

Nguyễn dynasty The Nguyễn dynasty (, chữ Nôm: 茹阮, chữ Hán: 朝阮) was the last List of Vietnamese dynasties, Vietnamese dynasty, preceded by the Nguyễn lords and ruling unified Vietnam independently from 1802 until French protectorate in 1883 ...

. Under Tây Sơn patronage, he fought in his cousin Zheng Qi's fleet. Zheng Yi hailed from a family of pirates whose roots traced back to the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...

. Zheng Yi had an adopted son, Zhang Bao. Zheng had abducted Zhang in 1798 when Zhang was age 15 and pressed Zhang into piracy. Chinese junk 1804

A year after Shi and Zheng's marriage in February 1802, Zheng Yi's cousin Zheng Qi was captured and executed by Nguyễn forces in the town of Jiangping () on the border of Vietnam and China, near what is now Dongxing (). On July 20, 1802, Nguyễn Ánh entered the city of Thăng Long, ending the Tây Sơn dynasty. Zheng Yi took over Zheng Qi's fleet after his death and sailed back to the Chinese coast together with the rest of the Chinese pirates formerly under Tây Sơn patronage. A period of infighting among the pirates near the Guangdong coast followed. With the help of Zheng Yi Sao, who was a capable consolidator and organizer, Zheng Yi was able to unite the pirates into a confederation through the signing of an agreement in July 1805. Each pirate leader agreed to sacrifice some of his autonomy for the greater good. The confederation consisted of six fleets known by the colour of their flags – red, black, blue, white, yellow, and purple. Zheng Yi commanded the biggest fleet in the confederation, the 200-Ship Red Flag Fleet. Zheng Yi Sao had two sons with Zheng Yi: Zheng Yingshi (), who was born in 1803, and Zheng Xiongshi (), who was born in 1807.

Ascension to leadership

On 16 November 1807, Zheng Yi fell overboard in a gale and died at the age of 42. Zheng Yi Sao took over her deceased husband's operations, through the support of Zheng Yi's nephew Zheng Baoyang () and the son of Zheng Qi, Zheng Anbang (). Zheng Yi Sao balanced the various factions in the confederation, and was familiar with Guo Podai (), leader of the second biggest fleet in the confederation, the Black Flag Fleet, who had been abducted by Zheng Yi and pressed into piracy at a young age. Most importantly, Zheng Yi Sao had the support of Zhang Bao, who was in effect commanding the Red Flag Fleet at the time. Zheng Yi Sao effectively inherited her deceased husband's informal command over the entire Pirate Confederation, while Zhang Bao became the official commander of the Red Flag Fleet. According to a report by Wen Chengzhi (), a government official who led the negotiations with Zheng Yi Sao and Zhang Bao with the

Viceroy of Liangguang The Viceroy of Liangguang, fully in Chinese as the Governor-General of Two Guang Provinces and Other Local Areas, in Charge of Military Affairs, Food and Wages and Governor Affairs, was one of eight regional Viceroys during the Ming and Qing d ...

Bai Ling () later in 1810, "Zhang Bao obeyed Zheng Yi Sao's orders, and consulted her on all things before acting ()." After taking control of the confederation, Zheng Yi Sao and Zhang Bao entered a sexual relationship. It is speculated that they were already intimate before the death of Zheng Yi.

Leader of the confederation

In 1808, a year after Zheng Yi Sao took power, the Pirate Confederation became significantly more active. In September, Zhang Bao first lured then ambushed Lin Guoliang (), brigade-general () of

Humen The Humen, also known as the Bocca Tigris or the Bogue, is a narrow strait in the Pearl River Delta that separates Shiziyang in the north and Lingdingyang in the south. It is located near Humen Town in China's Guangdong Province. It is the site ...

, and destroyed his fleet of 35 ships near Mazhou Island, located east of what is now Bao'an District,

Shenzhen Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A Special economic zones of China, special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong ...

. A month later in October, Zhang Bao defeated lieutenant-colonel () Lin Fa () near present-day Weiyuan Island east of Humen Town. These two engagements reduced the Chinese provincial fleet by half, and cleared the way for the pirates to enter the

Pearl River The Pearl River (, or ) is an extensive river system in southern China. "Pearl River" is often also used as a catch-all for the watersheds of the Pearl tributaries within Guangdong, specifically the Xi ('west'), Bei ('north'), and Dong ( ...

. 1809 was an eventful year for the Pirate Confederation under the command of Zheng Yi Sao. In March, Provincial Commander () Sun Quanmou (), with around 100 ships under his command, engaged a small group of pirates near Dawanshan Island, and the pirates called Zheng Yi Sao for aid. Before the battle, Zheng Yi Sao took command of the Red Flag Fleet and the White Flag Fleet and ordered Zhang Bao to engage from the front with around 10 ships. Zhang Bao's lieutenants, Xiang Shan'er () and Xiao Bu'ao () were to outflank Sun from the sides, and Liang Bao (), leader of the White Flag Fleet, was to cut Sun off from the rear. During the battle Zheng Yi Sao charged in with the bulk of the Red and the White Flag Fleets, which routed Sun. On July 21, the Qing navy dealt a major blow to the Pirate Confederation by killing Liang Bao and destroying his White Flag Fleet at an engagement near what is now Jinwan District,

Zhuhai Zhuhai; Yale romanization of Cantonese, Yale: ''Jyūhói''; Chinese postal romanization, also known as Chuhai is a prefecture-level city located on the west bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern ...

, at the cost of losing brigade-general Xu Tinggui () and 25 ships to Zhang Bao. Liang's death and the destruction of the White Flag Fleet did not deter Zheng Yi Sao. In August 1809 she ordered a massive raid: Zhang Bao would raid around

Dongguan Dongguan,; pinyin: alternately romanized via Cantonese as Tungkun, is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong Province, China. An important industrial city in the Pearl River Delta, Dongguan borders the provincial capital of Guangzhou t ...

with the Red Flag Fleet, Guo Podai would raid around

Shunde Shunde (Shun Tak in Cantonese) is a district of the city of Foshan, Guangdong province, located in the Pearl River Delta. It had a population of 2,464,784 as of the 2010 census. Once a traditional agricultural county, it has become one of the mo ...

with the Black Flag Fleet, and Zheng Yi Sao would lead the raid around

with her personal fleet. Guo Podai worked his way through the numerous waterways along the Pearl River for six weeks on a bloody raiding campaign which ultimately caused the deaths of approximately 10,000 people. In early September, Zhang Bao completely destroyed a large town not far from Humen and killed 2,000 inhabitants. Numerous villages, settlements, and towns fell victim to the rampaging pirates. On September 27, Zheng Yi Sao personally took command of 500 ships and anchored near Tanzhou (). On the 29th, Zheng Yi Sao ordered Zhang Bao to raid the town of Shating () further upriver, where he captured around 400 civilians; on October 2, Zheng Yi Sao ordered Guo Podai to anchor around Jigongshi (), presumably near Sanxiongqi (, modern day Sanhongqi ), where he raided two days later. By late October, the provincial fleet was back to strength and ready for action under the command of Sun Quanmou; however, they were defeated again by Zhang Bao on the evening of October 21 near the town of Shawan ().

Blockade of Tung Chung Bay

In desperation, Chinese officials looked with renewed interest at the "foreign barbarians", hoping to obtain aid against Zheng Yi Sao and the Pirate Confederation. The Portuguese Empire, which controlled Macau at the time, agreed to help – on September 5, 1809, Zheng Yi Sao had captured the

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

of Antonio Botelho Homen (the Portuguese governor of

Timor Timor (, , ) is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is Indonesia–Timor-Leste border, divided between the sovereign states of Timor-Leste in the eastern part and Indonesia in the ...

), and the Portuguese were eager for payback. In early November, 1809, Zheng Yi Sao suddenly left the

with only a few ships, and anchored at Tung Chung Bay, north of

Lantau Island Lantau Island (also Lantao Island, Lan Tao or Lan Tau) is the largest island in Hong Kong, located west of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, and is part of the New Territories. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the ...

, for repairs. On November 4, the Portuguese sent three ships and a brig to harass Zheng Yi Sao at Lantau. She immediately called the Red Flag Fleet under Zhang Bao for aid. On the 5th, Zhang Bao arrived at Tung Chung Bay and, seeing that the Portuguese were no longer there, decided to anchor his ships for repair and maintenance. On the 8th, six Portuguese ships, the ''Inconquistável'' (

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

), the ''Indiana'' (brig), the ''Belisário'' (brig), the ''Conceição'' (brig), the ''São Miguel'' (brig), and the ''Princesa Carlota'' (brig), under the command of artillery captain José Pinto Alcoforado de Azevedo e Sousa,

blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are ...

d Zheng Yi Sao and Zhang Bao within Tung Chung Bay. On the 20th, 93 ships from the provincial fleet joined the Portuguese in their blockade, commanded by Sun Quanmou. The pirates made various attempts to counterattack and break the blockade, but were unsuccessful due to unfavorable winds. On the 23rd, the pirates managed to capture one ship from the provincial fleet, and killed the 74 men aboard. The situation turned into a stalemate between the pirates and the joint Sino-Portuguese fleet. Frustrated with the lack of progress, Sun Quanmou converted 43 of his ships into fireships and set them adrift towards the pirates in Tung Chung Bay on the 28th. The pirates diverted the fireships, towed them ashore, extinguished the fires, and broke them up for

firewood Firewood is any wooden material that is gathered and used for fuel. Generally, firewood is not heavily processed, and is in some sort of firelog, recognizable log or branch form, compared to other forms of wood fuel like pellet fuel, pellets. ...

. At this point the wind changed, and two of the fireships were blown back to the provincial fleet and ignited two of Sun's own ships. On the 29th, Zhang Bao and Zheng Yi Sao, taking full advantage of the wind, broke through the blockade, and escaped into the

. The provincial fleet lost 3 ships and at least 74 men, while the pirates lost 40 men and no ships.

Surrendering to the Qing authorities

The year 1810 saw the end of the Pirate Confederation. Sources differ on the motivation as to why the pirates surrendered. By early 1810, the pirates began to realize that they were in such a position of power that they could negotiate to surrender to the Guangdong government without punishment or reparations being imposed on them. Guangdong was so desperate to end the scourge of piracy that they were ready to legitimize their power in exchange for their retirement. An alternative viewpoint is that by the end of 1809 the tides were turning against Zheng Yi Sao and the Pirate Confederation. Guo Podai, leader of the Black Flag Fleet, refused to reinforce Zheng Yi Sao and Zhang Bao during the Battle of Tung Chung Bay, and later openly battled with Zhang Bao near

. On January 13, 1810, Guo Podai officially surrendered to the Viceroy of Liangguang, Bai Ling, and was rewarded with the rank of sublieutenant (). The Portuguese and the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

officially joined in the fray. On September 15, 1809, the British ship ''Mercury'' agreed to join 60 provincial warships in patrolling the inner passage of the Pearl River. On November 23, the Portuguese signed an agreement with Bai Ling, that called for six Portuguese ships to join the Chinese provincial fleet on patrol between Humen and

Macau Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...

for six months. Bai Ling's policy of militia training and embargoes enjoyed reasonable success in cutting off the pirates' supply lines. It was all these reasons combined, plus the organizational limit of the Pirate Confederation, which was held together by a few charismatic leaders such as Zheng Yi Sao, Zhang Bao, and Guo Podai, that led Zheng Yi Sao to consider surrendering to the authorities in early 1810. With Macau's '' Ouvidor'' (magistrate) Miguel José de Arriaga as mediator, Zheng Yi Sao, Zhang Bao, and Bai Ling officially met on Zhang Bao's flagship on February 21, 1810. The negotiations quickly broke down when Bai Ling refused Zheng Yi Sao and Zhang Bao's demand of retaining 5,000 subordinates and 80 ships for entering the salt trade and joining the anti-pirate campaign in western Guangdong. At the end of the day, ten British Indiamen sailed past the pirate fleet and alarmed Zhang Bao, who suspected some sort of Sino-European trap and quickly retreated. On April 17, Zheng Yi Sao, wanting to break the deadlock, personally led a delegation of 17 women and children to the

Yamen A ''yamen'' (''ya-men''; ; Manchu: ''yamun'') was the administrative office or residence of a local bureaucrat or mandarin in imperial China, Korea, and Vietnam. In some places, such as Kowloon Walled City, Hong Kong, it was named as ''al ...

Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...

and negotiated with Bai Ling, where he yielded to her demands. On April 20, 1810, Zheng Yi Sao and Zhang Bao officially surrendered to Bai Ling near Furongsha (, near what is now Guzaiwan ) with 17,318 pirates, 226 ships, 1,315 cannons, and 2,798 assorted weapons. Zheng Yi Sao surrendered with 24 ships and 1,433 pirates under her personal command. Zhang Bao was awarded the rank of lieutenant (), and was allowed to retain a private fleet of 20 to 30 ships. Zheng Yi Sao was also given permission to officially marry Zhang Bao. Zheng Yi Sao and her crews were pardoned, and the men received pork, wine and money. Along with the amnesty she was granted, Zheng Yi Sao was also given land in Canton where she owned and operated a very successful gambling house.

Life after piracy and death

After surrendering, Zhang Bao further distinguished himself by defeating the Blue Flag Fleet under Wu Shi'er () near the

Leizhou Peninsula The Leizhou Peninsula, alternately romanized as the Luichow Peninsula, is a peninsula in the southernmost part of Guangdong province in South China. As of 2015, the population of the peninsula was 5,694,245. The largest city by population and ...

. Zhang Bao, with Zheng Yi Sao accompanying him, was later transferred to Min'an,

Fujian Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...

, where Zheng Yi Sao gave birth to a son, Zhang Yulin, in 1813 (). At some point, Zheng Yi Sao also gave birth to a daughter, however the time and name are unknown. In 1822, Zhang Bao, aged 39, died near

Penghu The Penghu ( , Hokkien Pe̍h-ōe-jī, POJ: ''Phîⁿ-ô͘'' or ''Phêⁿ-ô͘'' ) or Pescadores Islands are an archipelago of 90 islands and islets in the Taiwan Strait, about west of the main island of Taiwan across the Penghu Ch ...

while serving as a colonel () in charge of the Penghu garrison. In 1824, Zheng Yi Sao returned to Guangdong with Zhang Yulin. In 1840, while living at Nanhai, Zheng Yi Sao filed charges against a government official, Wu Yaonan (), for having embezzled 28,000

tael Tael ( ),"Tael" entry
at the

Lin Zexu Lin Zexu (30 August 1785 – 22 November 1850), courtesy name Yuanfu, was a Chinese political philosopher and politician. He was a head of state (Viceroy), Governor General, scholar-official, and under the Daoguang Emperor of the Qing dynasty ...

, petitioned the

emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

to dismiss the case, which he did. In 1844, Zheng Yi Sao died at the age of 68 or 69, having led a relatively peaceful life after the death of her second husband, as the proprietor of an infamous gambling house somewhere around Guangdong.

Legacy

Zhang Bao's three codes for the pirates of the Red Flag Fleet are often misattributed to Zheng Yi Sao. The codes are: #If any pirate goes privately on shore, he shall be taken, his ears mutilated, he will be paraded around the fleet and

executed Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence (law), sentence ordering that an offender b ...

. #Not the least thing shall be taken privately from the stolen and plundered goods, all shall be registered. The pirate receives for himself, out of ten parts, only two; eight parts belong to the storehouse, called the general fund; those who steal anything out of this general fund, shall be executed. #Women captured from villages shall not be harmed or harassed. All women captives shall be registered, their place of origin recorded, and be given separate quarters. Those who

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...

or commit

adultery Adultery is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal consequences, the concept ...

with the women captives shall be executed. The three codes and the fact that Zhang Bao was the author of the codes were recorded in ''Jing hai fen ji'' (), an account of the Pirate Confederation by Qing official Yuan Yonglun () based on first-hand testimonies. The misattribution of the codes to Zheng Yi Sao most likely originated from Philip Gosse's ''The History of Piracy'', first published in 1932, in which he said Zheng Yi Sao had drawn up "a code of rules for her crews which somewhat resembled those subscribed to by earlier European pirates." Gosse claimed to have based the story of Zheng Yi Sao on a translation of ''Jing hai fen ji'' by Charles F. Neumann, in ''History of the Pirates Who Infested the China Sea from 1807 to 1810'', published in 1831, which in itself contains numerous translation errors. It is thought that Gosse was primarily interested in a sensationalized account of Zheng Yi Sao, as he claimed in ''The History of Piracy'' that "the original (''Jing hai fen ji''), published in Canton in 1830, is chiefly devoted to the exploits of one pirate, and that a woman," while in fact ''Jin hai fen ji'' contains significantly more mentions of Zhang Bao (88) than Zheng Yi Sao (25). Although the fact that the codes were misattributed was established, other sources list additional codes that may have been issued by Zheng Yi Sao, which is compiled below: * Anyone caught giving commands on their own or disobeying a command from a superior is to be immediately decapitated. * Pilfering from common treasury or public fund, and stealing from villagers who supplied the pirates were capital offences. * No pirate could retain any good before inspection. * Goods had to be registered and then distributed by the fleet leader. * 20% of the booty was to be returned to the original captor and the remainder was placed in a joint treasury or storehouse. * Currency was to be handed over to the squadron leader, part was turned over to the fleet, and some back to the captor. A semi-fictionalized account of ''Zheng Yi Sao'', based on Philip Gosse's ''The History of Piracy,'' appeared in

Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo ( ; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator regarded as a key figure in Spanish literature, Spanish-language and international literatur ...

' short story ''The Widow Ching, Lady Pirate'' (part of '' A Universal History of Infamy'' (1935)), where she is described as "a lady pirate who operated in Asian waters, all the way from the Yellow Sea to the rivers of the Annam coast", and who, after surrendering to the imperial forces, is pardoned and allowed to live the rest of her life as an

opium Opium (also known as poppy tears, or Lachryma papaveris) is the dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid mor ...

smuggler. In the story, Borges repeated the incorrect claim that the pirate codes were issued by Zheng Yi Sao. In 2020 Angela Eiter finished the first ascent of the mountain climbing route Madame Ching (which she named after ''Zheng Yi Sao'') in Imst, Austria.

Arts, entertainment, and media

Film

* '' Singing Behind Screens'' (2003), directed by

Ermanno Olmi Ermanno Olmi (24 July 1931 – 7 May 2018)Lane, John Francis (May 7, 2018).Ermanno Olmi obituary. ''The Guardian''. theguardian.com. Retrieved 11 May 2018. was an Italian film director and screenwriter best known for directing '' Il Posto'' ( ...

, is loosely based on Jorge Luis Borges' short story ''The Widow Ching, Lady Pirate.'' * '' Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End'' (2007), directed by

Gore Verbinski Gregor Justin "Gore" Verbinski (born March 16, 1964) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing ''Mouse Hunt'', '' The Ring'', the first 3 ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' films, and '' Rango''. For '' ...

, featured a character played by Takayo Fischer named Mistress Ching that is loosely based on Zheng Yi Sao. * ''Madame Pirate: Becoming a Legend'' (2021), directed by Dan Chi Huang and Morgan Ommer, a fictional re-telling of Zheng Yi Sao's rise to power. It includes live action scenes filmed with virtual reality simulations as well. With Yi Ti Yao, Shang-Ho Huang, Ling Yuan Kung, Hao-Hsiang Hsu. Produced by Serendipity Films.

Literature

* The short story ''The Widow Ching, Lady Pirate'' in '' A Universal History of Infamy'' (1935) by

is loosely based on Zheng Yi Sao's life. * In '' The Wake of the Lorelei Lee'' (2012), book 8 of L.A. Meyer's '' Bloody Jack'' series, the character Cheng Shih is based on Zheng Yi Sao. * ''The Flower Boat Girl'' (2021) by Larry Feign is a fictional novel based closely on the life of Zheng Yi Sao, incorporating historical research done by the author. * The science fiction novel '' Mickey7'' (2022), by Edward Ashton, refers to the first interstellar human colonial mission as having departed on a ship named the ''Ching Shih''. A film adaptation of the novel, directed by

Bong Joon-Ho Bong Joon Ho (, ; born September 14, 1969) is a South Korean filmmaker. Bong Joon Ho filmography, His work is characterized by emphasis on social and class themes, genre fiction, genre-mixing, black comedy, dark comedy, and sudden tone shifts. ...

, has been reported to be Bong's next project. * The science fiction novel '' The Red Scholar's Wake'' (2022), by

Aliette de Bodard Aliette de Bodard (born November 10, 1982) is a French-American speculative fiction writer. She has received accolades including the British Fantasy Award, BSFA Award, Ignyte Award, Locus Award, and Nebula Award. Writing De Bodard published he ...

, features space pirates modelled on Ching Shih and the pirates of the South China Sea. *In the classics remix of ''Treasure Island'', ''A Clash of Steel'' by C.B.Lee Zheng Yi Sao's stories are passed on, and she turns out to be a major character * Taiwanese-American author Rita Chang-Eppig published a fictionalized biography of Zheng Yi Sao in her debut novel ''Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea'' (2023), referring to Zheng Yi Sao by the name she's associated with in Taiwan, Shek Yeung.

Manga and graphic novels

* In chapter 15 of '' Codename: Sailor V'' (November 1997), a

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

created by Naoko Takeuchi, Sailor V transforms temporarily into Zheng Yi Sao. * ''

Afterlife The afterlife or life after death is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's Stream of consciousness (psychology), stream of consciousness or Personal identity, identity continues to exist after the death of their ...

'' (2006) is a OEL graphic novel that depicts Zheng Yi Sao as a guardian who fights demons to protect the denizens of the underworld. * In chapter 60 of ''Worn and Torn Newbie'', a Korean ''

webtoon Webtoons () are a type of episodic digital comics that originated in South Korea usually meant to be read on smartphones A smartphone is a mobile phone with advanced computing capabilities. It typically has a touchscreen interface, allo ...

'', a female pirate captain appears as Ching Shih.

Television

* In '' Captain of Destiny'' (2015), a Hong Kong television drama,

Maggie Shiu Maggie Shiu (born February 27, 1965) is a prominent Hong Kong actress. Career Her career began in 1985 when she joined Hong Kong TVB. As her career developed, she took on variety of roles in TV series and movies. Hong Kong audiences still remembe ...

plays Shek Kiu (), who is based on Zheng Yi Sao. * Zheng Yi Sao is portrayed by Crystal Yu in the 2022 ''Doctor Who'' special " Legend of the Sea Devils". * In season 2 of the

Max Max or MAX may refer to: Animals * Max (American dog) (1983–2013), at one time purported to be the world's oldest living dog * Max (British dog), the first pet dog to win the PDSA Order of Merit (animal equivalent of the OBE) * Max (gorilla) ...

series '' Our Flag Means Death'', Zheng Yi Sao is portrayed by Ruibo Qian.

Podcasts

* Historian Daniele Bolelli explores the life of Zheng Yi Sao in "The Pirate Queen", episode 24 of ''History on Fire'' podcast. * An episode of

BBC Sounds BBC Sounds is an Over-the-top media service, over-the-top audio streaming media, streaming and download service from the BBC that includes live radio broadcasts, Streaming media, audio on demand, and podcasts. The service is available on a wide ...

podcast ''You're Dead To Me'' focuses on Zheng Yi Sao. Host

Greg Jenner Greg Jenner (born 10 September 1982) is a British author and public historian with a particular interest in communicating history through pop culture and humour. Early life Jenner studied for a History and Archaeology BA and a Medieval Studie ...

is joined by Ria Lina and Prof. Ronald C. Po. * In episode 254 of the Lions Led By Donkeys podcast, host Joe Kassabian explores the life of Zheng Yi Sao. He is joined by Nate Bethea and Tom O'Mahoney.

Video games

* The Pirate hero from ''

For Honor ''For Honor'' is a Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) action game developed and published by Ubisoft. The game allows players to play the roles of historical forms of soldiers and warriors such as knights, samurai, and vikings, controlled u ...

'' is heavily inspired by Ching Shih. * Baozhai, a character from '' Indivisible'', is inspired by Ching Shih. * Jing Lang, an antagonist in '' Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'' is inspired by Ching Shih. * Ching Shih is a "Great Admiral" unit in strategy game ''

Civilization VI ''Sid Meier's Civilization VI'' is a 2016 4X turn-based strategy video game developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K (company), 2K. The mobile and Nintendo Switch ports were published by Aspyr Media. It is the sequel to ''Civilization V'' ...

'', which grants extra rewards for plundering trade routes. * The 2024 VR game '' The Pirate Queen'' features the player taking the role of Cheng Shih in a VR experience on a ship, and features

Lucy Liu Lucy Alexis Liu (; born December 2, 1968) is an American actress, producer, and artist. Widely regarded as a trailblazer for Asian Americans in arts and entertainment, Asian American representation in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, she is t ...

doing voice acting for the game.

Music

* The song "Bloody Rose of China" by The Jolly Rogers tells a version of the story of her life. * The song "Zheng Yi Sao & Questions For Her" by

Bastille The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was stormed by a ...

reflects on her life.

Musicals

* The musical ''Asian Pirate Musical'' features a version of her with various songs featuring the pirate queen. The musical album is due to release this year.

References

Footnotes

Sources

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

"The Chinese Female Pirate Who Commanded 80,000 Outlaws"
April 6, 2016. Updated: June 15, 2022.

Atlas Obscura ''Atlas Obscura'' is an United States, American-based travel and exploration company. It was founded in 2009 by author Joshua Foer and documentary filmmaker/author Dylan Thuras. It catalogs unusual and obscure travel destinations via professiona ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zheng Yi Sao 1770s births 1844 deaths 18th-century Chinese women 18th-century Chinese military personnel 19th-century Chinese women 19th-century pirates 19th-century Chinese criminals Chinese female prostitutes Chinese female pirates Chinese pirates People from Guangzhou Date of birth unknown Date of death unknown Women in war in China Women in 18th-century warfare Women in 19th-century warfare