The Most Famous
PIRATES from China
This page contains a list of the greatest Chinese Pirates. The pantheon dataset contains 29 Pirates, 2 of which were born in China. This makes China the birth place of the 4th most number of Pirates behind Ireland, and Netherlands.
Top 2
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Chinese Pirates of all time. This list of famous Chinese Pirates is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography's online popularity.
1. Ching Shih (1775 - 1844)
With an HPI of 77.61, Ching Shih is the most famous Chinese Pirate. Her biography has been translated into 46 different languages on wikipedia.
Shi Yang (c.1775 – 1844) also known as Zheng Yi Sao, Shi Xianggu, Shek Yeung, and Ching Shih, was a Chinese pirate leader active in the South China Sea from 1801 to 1810. Born Shi Yang in 1775, she married a pirate Zheng Yi at age 26 in 1801. She became known as Zheng Yi Sao ("wife of Zheng Yi") among the people of Guangdong. 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. She later entered into a relationship with Zhang Bao and eventually married him. While still under Zheng Yi's command in 1805, the fleet consisted of approximately 400 junks and between 40,000 and 70,000 pirates. Her ships engaged in conflict with several major powers, including the East India Company, the Portuguese Empire, and the Great Qing. In 1810, Zheng Yi Sao negotiated a surrender to Qing authorities that allowed her and Zhang Bao to retain 24 ships and over 1,400 pirates and to avoid prosecution. She died in 1844 at the age of about 68, having lived a relatively peaceful and prosperous life after her career in piracy. Zheng Yi Sao has been described as history's most successful female pirate and among the most successful pirates overall.
2. Cheung Po Tsai (1783 - 1822)
With an HPI of 60.98, Cheung Po Tsai is the 2nd most famous Chinese Pirate. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Cheung Po Tsai (Chinese: 張保仔; born Cheung Po; 1783–1822) was a navy colonel of the Qing dynasty and a former pirate. "Cheung Po Tsai" literally means "Cheung Po the Kid". He was known to the Portuguese Navy as Quan Apon Chay during the Battle of the Tiger's Mouth.
People
Pantheon has 2 people classified as Chinese pirates born between 1775 and 1783. Of these 2, none of them are still alive today. The most famous deceased Chinese pirates include Ching Shih, and Cheung Po Tsai.
