Zheng Yi Sao
Ching Shih; Madame Ching
At a Glance
- Given name: Zheng Yi Sao (Ching Shih, Madame Ching)
- Born: c. 1775, Guangdong, China
- Died: 1844
- Active period: 1801–1810
- Fleet size: Over 300 ships; up to 70,000 pirates
- Known for: Uniting rival factions into the Red Flag Fleet; defeating Chinese, Portuguese, and British naval forces; strict code of conduct
- Fate: Retired peacefully with a government pardon; died in 1844
Also known as Ching Shih or Madame Ching, Zheng Yi Sao was one of history’s most powerful pirates. She unified rival factions into the Red Flag Fleet and enforced a strict code of conduct, defeating Chinese, Portuguese, and British forces.
Active: 1801–1810. Fleet: 300+ ships; up to 70,000 pirates. Fate: Retired with a government pardon and died in 1844.
Rise to power: A former Cantonese prostitute who married pirate commander Zheng Yi in 1801; after his death in 1807, she assumed command and expanded the fleet’s power.