Background Introduction
Who is Zheng Yisao – She was truly the woman who commanded the largest and most successful pirate force in history
Zheng Yisao’s life was full of ups and downs and legendary tales. She was born into an ordinary fishing family and lived a harsh life in her early years. Later, she married the pirate leader Zheng Yi and embarked on the path of piracy. After Zheng Yi’s death, she inherited his maritime power and became the feared “Queen of the South China Sea”. Facing the Qing court’s crackdown, Zheng Yisao assessed the situation and decisively chose to surrender to the court to preserve her strength. After the outbreak of the Opium War, Zheng Yisao accepted Lin Zexu’s invitation and stepped forward. Relying on her outstanding military talents and rich combat experience, she led the navy to repeated victories against the British, becoming a renowned heroine against the British. Zheng Yisao’s life, from being unknown to becoming illustrious, showed the indomitable will and extraordinary talents of a legendary woman,writing a touching legendary life that is worthy of praise.
Her impact overseas:
- In the short story collection “A Universal History of Iniquity” by writer Jorge Lu Borges, she is portrayed as a widowed pirate from the Qing Dynasty. • In the game “Civilization VI”, Zheng Yisao is listed alongside great Chinese figures such as Confucius, Laozi, Sun Tzu, Li Bai, and Qu Yuan. • “Pirate Queen: A Forgotten Legend” is a VR adventure game developed by Singer Studios, which won the Immersive Storytelling Award at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival
Project Review
Project Name: “Zheng Yisao”
Project Duration: 75 minutes
Project Genre: Historical / Comedy
At the beginning of the 18th century, the Qing Dynasty’s pirate suppression cut off the livelihood of the Red Flag Gang and other pirate alliances, creating internal rifts. At this critical moment, the leader Zheng Yisao decided to surrender, but the first few rounds of negotiations failed. She personally led a delegation to Guangzhou and selected 17 women and children as “hostages” to show sincerity. As the negotiations began, the two sides held opposing positions. The Qing Dynasty questioned the sincerity of this “pirate leader”. Zheng Yisao balanced between safeguarding the interests of her gang members and gaining the trust of the court. In the end, with the efforts of the mediators, the Qing Dynasty reluctantly agreed to some conditions, achieving small successes in the negotiations. After returning, Zheng Yisao faced a greater challenge—persuading the gang members to abide by the agreement. After repeated persuasion, she finally gained recognition from the majority. However, there were differing opinions within the court regarding accepting the pirates’ surrender, and Bai Ling needed to coordinate with each group one by one. Thirty years later, an elderly Zheng Yisao once again stepped forward, offering strategies to help Lin Zexu repel the invading British army, earning her final military merit.
