Portrait: AI-generated imagined likeness

Koxinga

Military commander · Military leader · Politician

Years: 1624–1662
Birthplace: Japan
Birth polity: Hirado under the Tokugawa shogunate
Era: Early modern
Field: Military
Occupations: Military commander · Military leader · Politician

A military leader during the Ming and Qing transition. Defending their loyalty to the Ming Dynasty, they resisted the Qing Dynasty and expelled the Dutch from Taiwan. He is a figure who shows the changes in the East Asian maritime world.

View in catalog

Historical context

Places

Taiwan
Campaign

Events

Siege of Fort Zeelandia
1661–1662
Battle · Commander

Origins

Origins map

Birth countryAssociated countries

Birth country: Japan
Associated countries: China · Taiwan

Map: Natural Earth (PD)

Biography

Early life

Born in Hirado to a Chinese maritime merchant father and a Japanese mother, he grew up in Fujian's maritime and military networks. The turmoil of the Ming and Qing alternations shaped his political stance.

Achievements

They resisted the Qing Dynasty as a member of the Southern Ming Dynasty, and were active based on the Fujian coast and Taiwan. From 1661, they laid siege to Zeelandia Castle and drove the Dutch East India Company forces from Taiwan.

Character & anecdotes

In Japan, Zheng Chenggong was featured in joruri and other plays as ``Kokusyojiji.'' He remains in many memories as a person at the intersection of Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, and European powers.

Historical Impact

Zheng Chenggong's activities demonstrate that the Ming-Qing transition was not just a change of dynasties within the continent, but also a change that involved maritime trade, immigration, and colonial powers. Through him, we can gain a perspective on early modern East Asia from the sea. It also provides clues for thinking about the relationship between institutions and people.