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Qi Jiguang (November 12, 1528 – January 17, 1588), courtesy name Yuanjing, art names Nantang and Mengzhu, posthumous name Wuyi, was a Chinese military general of the Ming dynasty.<br/><br/> He is best known for leading Ming forces to defend China's east coastal regions from raids by the wokou (Japanese: wako) in the 16th century and is widely regarded as a national hero in Chinese culture.
Wokou (Japanese: Wakō; Korean: Waegu), which literally translates to 'Japanese pirates' or 'dwarf pirates', were pirates who raided the coastlines of China, Japan and Korea. Wokou came from a mixture of ethnicities.<br/><br/> The term wokou is a combination of Wo, referring to either dwarfs or the Japanese, and kou, 'bandit', making the generic term 'dwarf bandits'.
In the waning years of the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), <i>wokou</i> (Japanese pirates) raided the coastal provinces of eastern China with increasing regularity. Despite suffering defeat in Shandong in 1363, raiding parties continued, pushing even farther south along the coast to Fujian Province.<br/><br/> The scroll in its entirety shows a party of Japanese pirates landing in a coastal community, scouting and raiding local residences, the flight of refugees, and the response of Ming troops who defend the area in a pitched battle on the water.
In the waning years of the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), <i>wokou</i> (Japanese pirates) raided the coastal provinces of eastern China with increasing regularity. Despite suffering defeat in Shandong in 1363, raiding parties continued, pushing even farther south along the coast to Fujian Province.<br/><br/> The scroll in its entirety shows a party of Japanese pirates landing in a coastal community, scouting and raiding local residences, the flight of refugees, and the response of Ming troops who defend the area in a pitched battle on the water.
In the waning years of the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), <i>wokou</i> (Japanese pirates) raided the coastal provinces of eastern China with increasing regularity. Despite suffering defeat in Shandong in 1363, raiding parties continued, pushing even farther south along the coast to Fujian Province.<br/><br/> The scroll in its entirety shows a party of Japanese pirates landing in a coastal community, scouting and raiding local residences, the flight of refugees, and the response of Ming troops who defend the area in a pitched battle on the water.
In the waning years of the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), <i>wokou</i> (Japanese pirates) raided the coastal provinces of eastern China with increasing regularity. Despite suffering defeat in Shandong in 1363, raiding parties continued, pushing even farther south along the coast to Fujian Province.<br/><br/> The scroll in its entirety shows a party of Japanese pirates landing in a coastal community, scouting and raiding local residences, the flight of refugees, and the response of Ming troops who defend the area in a pitched battle on the water.
In the waning years of the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), <i>wokou</i> (Japanese pirates) raided the coastal provinces of eastern China with increasing regularity. Despite suffering defeat in Shandong in 1363, raiding parties continued, pushing even farther south along the coast to Fujian Province.<br/><br/> The scroll in its entirety shows a party of Japanese pirates landing in a coastal community, scouting and raiding local residences, the flight of refugees, and the response of Ming troops who defend the area in a pitched battle on the water.
In the waning years of the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), <i>wokou</i> (Japanese pirates) raided the coastal provinces of eastern China with increasing regularity. Despite suffering defeat in Shandong in 1363, raiding parties continued, pushing even farther south along the coast to Fujian Province.<br/><br/> The scroll in its entirety shows a party of Japanese pirates landing in a coastal community, scouting and raiding local residences, the flight of refugees, and the response of Ming troops who defend the area in a pitched battle on the water.
Koxinga (Lord of the Imperial Surname) is the customary Western spelling of the popular appellation of Zheng Chenggong, a Chinese military leader who was born in 1624 in Hirado, Japan to Chinese merchant/pirate Zheng Zhilong and his Japanese wife, and died in 1662 on the Island of Formosa (Taiwan).<br/><br/> A Ming loyalist and the chief commander of the Ming troops on the maritime front for the later emperors of the withering dynasty, Koxinga devoted the last 16 years of his life to resisting the conquest of China by the Manchus.<br/><br/> The area where Xiamen now exists was known as Tong'an (Chinese: 同安; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâng-Oaⁿ) in some Han Dynasty records, though the area was not significantly settled by Han Chinese until several centuries later.<br/><br/> In 1387, the Ming Dynasty built a fort in Xiamen, then part of Quanzhou, to guard against pirates. After the Manchu Qing Dynasty overthrew the Ming in 1644, Ming loyalist Koxinga, used Xiamen as a base to launch counterattacks against the invading Manchus from 1650 to 1660. In 1656, he named Xiamen Island, Siming (思明洲), or 'Remembering the Ming'. In 1661, Koxinga drove the Dutch from Taiwan and moved his operations there. The Manchus renamed the island Xiamen.
Koxinga (Lord of the Imperial Surname) is the customary Western spelling of the popular appellation of Zheng Chenggong, a Chinese military leader who was born in 1624 in Hirado, Japan to Chinese merchant/pirate Zheng Zhilong and his Japanese wife, and died in 1662 on the Island of Formosa (Taiwan).<br/><br/> A Ming loyalist and the chief commander of the Ming troops on the maritime front for the later emperors of the withering dynasty, Koxinga devoted the last 16 years of his life to resisting the conquest of China by the Manchus.<br/><br/> The area where Xiamen now exists was known as Tong'an (Chinese: 同安; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâng-Oaⁿ) in some Han Dynasty records, though the area was not significantly settled by Han Chinese until several centuries later.<br/><br/> In 1387, the Ming Dynasty built a fort in Xiamen, then part of Quanzhou, to guard against pirates. After the Manchu Qing Dynasty overthrew the Ming in 1644, Ming loyalist Koxinga, used Xiamen as a base to launch counterattacks against the invading Manchus from 1650 to 1660. In 1656, he named Xiamen Island, Siming (思明洲), or 'Remembering the Ming'. In 1661, Koxinga drove the Dutch from Taiwan and moved his operations there. The Manchus renamed the island Xiamen.
Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan. The town was initially established by the Dutch East India Company as a ruling and trading base called Fort Zeelandia during the period of Dutch rule on Taiwan. After Dutch colonists were defeated by Koxinga in 1661, Tainan remained as the capital of the Tungning Kingdom until 1683 and afterwards the capital of Taiwan prefecture under the rule of the Qing Dynasty until 1887, when the new provincial capital was moved to Taipei.<br/><br/> Koxinga (Lord of the Imperial Surname) is the customary Western spelling of the popular appellation of Zheng Chenggong, a Chinese military leader who was born in 1624 in Hirado, Japan to Chinese merchant/pirate Zheng Zhilong and his Japanese wife, and died in 1662 on the Island of Formosa (Taiwan).<br/><br/> A Ming loyalist and the chief commander of the Ming troops on the maritime front for the later emperors of the withering dynasty, Koxinga devoted the last 16 years of his life to resisting the conquest of China by the Manchus.
The Second Battle of Chuenpee was fought between British and Chinese forces at the Bocca Tigris, China, on 7 January 1841 during the First Opium War. The British captured the forts on the islands of Chuenpee and Tycocktow.<br/><br/> The battle led to negotiations between British Plenipotentiary Charles Elliot and Chinese Imperial Commissioner Qishan in the Convention of Chuenpee. Elliot declared, among other arrangements, the cession of Hong Kong Island to the British Empire.<br/><br/> During the battle, the iron steam ship Nemesis fired a congreve rocket which exploded a Chinese junk. A British officer gave his account of the incident:<br/><br/> 'The very first rocket fired from the Nemesis was seen to enter the large junk ... and almost the instant afterwards it blew up with a terrific explosion, launching into eternity every soul on board, and pouring forth its blaze like the mighty rush of fire from a volcano. The instantaneous destruction of the huge body seemed appalling to both sides engaged. The smoke, and flame, and thunder of the explosion, with the broken fragments falling round, and even portions of dissevered bodies scattering as they fell, were enough to strike with awe, if not fear, the stoutest heart that looked upon it'.
The Battle of Tysami refers to a military engagement involving a warship from the United Kingdom's China Squadron and the Chinese pirates of Chui A-poo. It was fought in September 1849 off Tysami, China in Harlaim Bay and ended with a Royal Navy victory. It was also the precursor engagement to the larger Battle of Pinghoi Creek where Chui A-poo's fleet was destroyed.<br/><br/> Chui A-poo is said to have commanded over 500 junks in his career as an outlaw and was a follower of Shap Ng-tsai, another famed pirate of the era. Chui A-poo's base was in Bias Bay which is next to Harlaim Bay and was the location of his harbor and arsenal for constructing war-junks.<br/><br/> In February 1849, Chui A-poo fled Hong Kong after killing two Europeans. The incident became known to the foreign population of the island who then pressured the Royal Navy to respond. During the time of the battles he commanded twenty-seven war-junks each mounting twelve to eighteen guns and displacing an average of 500 tons. All together about 1,800 pirates crewed them with about 200 guns in total which were found to be mostly of English manufacture.<br/><br/> Heading right for the junks Canton opened up with her guns and by the time she was receiving enemy fire, Hay's ship came within range and engaged. After a few more minutes of accurate fire Chui A-poo's fleet scattered and three junks were abandoned by their crews, most of whom drowned as their vessels were sunk around them. Towards the end of the engagement shots from the Columbine hit one of the larger junks and it exploded, sending up a large plume of smoke.<br/><br/> Ten junks escaped the battle due to the British who chose not to continue the chase for they had an idea about where the brigands were going. The British had already been at station non-stop for forty hours and this was another reason for abandoning the pursuit. Chui A-poo's pirates were reported to have suffered 250 casualties and a total of over 200 cannon were destroyed or captured and then taken back to Hong Kong. Three Royal Navy sailors were killed on the Columbine and one officer and six men were wounded.