The Rise of a Ming Loyalist

In the turbulent mid-17th century, as the Ming dynasty crumbled before Qing forces, one figure emerged as a determined resistance leader – Zheng Chenggong, known to Europeans as Koxinga. Born to a Chinese merchant-pirate father and Japanese mother in 1624, Zheng became the unlikely standard-bearer for Ming loyalism after the 1644 fall of Beijing. His transformation from merchant’s son to military leader forms one of East Asia’s most dramatic historical narratives.

Zheng’s father, Zheng Zhilong, had initially collaborated with the Qing before being imprisoned when his son continued resistance. This family tragedy hardened the younger Zheng’s resolve. By 1659, after failed campaigns along China’s coast, Zheng Chenggong needed a secure base for his operations. His eyes turned toward Taiwan, then under Dutch control since 1624.

The Taiwan Campaign and Nation-Building

In April 1661, Zheng launched his legendary invasion of Taiwan with 400 ships and 25,000 soldiers. After a grueling nine-month siege, the Dutch surrendered Fort Zeelandia in February 1662. Zheng immediately began transforming Taiwan into what he called the “Eastern Capital” (Dongdu), envisioning it as both agricultural base and political center for his anti-Qing resistance.

Zheng’s subsequent actions reveal a fascinating blend of military strategy and administrative vision:

– He personally toured regions including Xinguang, Majia, Xiaolong, and Madou, assessing agricultural potential
– Implemented the “soldier-farmer” system where troops cultivated land during peacetime
– Established measurement standards (1 jia = 31 ge = 2.5 zhang) for land allocation
– Instituted a three-year tax holiday followed by graded taxation based on land quality
– Maintained indigenous place names and social structures while introducing Han agricultural methods

This systematic approach demonstrated Zheng’s understanding that sustainable resistance required economic foundations. His policies would shape Taiwan’s development for centuries.

Cultural Integration and Governance Challenges

Zheng’s interactions with Taiwan’s indigenous peoples reveal a complex colonial dynamic. Records describe indigenous communities welcoming him with ceremonies, to which he responded by distributing tobacco and cloth while prohibiting soldier misconduct. This careful diplomacy reflected both pragmatism and Zheng’s Confucian ideals of benevolent governance.

However, Zheng’s administration faced immediate challenges:

– Harsh living conditions led to widespread illness among soldiers
– Strict discipline caused discontent – officials were executed for minor infractions
– The controversial “family relocation policy” ordered all officers’ families to Taiwan
– This heavy-handed approach bred resentment among coastal garrisons

Historian accounts describe the disastrous consequences: “Of those who came, 70-80% fell ill from the unfamiliar climate, with many dying. Combined with severe laws and frequent executions, morale plummeted.”

The Personal Tragedies of a Resistance Leader

1661-1662 brought devastating personal blows that compounded Zheng’s political challenges:

1. In October 1661, the Qing executed Zheng’s father and eleven family members
2. April 1662 brought news of the Yongli Emperor’s capture, eliminating the last Ming claimant
3. A family scandal erupted when Zheng discovered his son’s affair with a wet nurse

These events psychologically shattered the 38-year-old leader. His increasingly erratic behavior included ordering the execution of his own wife, son, and grandson over the family scandal – commands his officers refused to carry out.

The Collapse of a Dream

By May 1662, isolated and despairing, Zheng Chenggong fell ill. Contemporary accounts describe his final days: “Each day he climbed a lookout tower, scanning the horizon for ships from Penghu with his telescope.” On the eighth day, seeing none, he succumbed to what was likely a combination of illness and heartbreak.

His death marked several symbolic endings:

– The last credible Ming restoration effort collapsed
– Taiwan’s brief period as anti-Qing base ended
– The Zheng family transitioned from resistance to regional governance

Historical Assessment and Legacy

Zheng Chenggong’s Taiwan enterprise presents profound historical ironies:

1. His military colony became the foundation for Chinese settlement of Taiwan
2. Anti-Qing policies inadvertently facilitated Qing’s later annexation
3. The “Eastern Capital” vision outlasted its creator by decades

Modern evaluations must balance:

– His administrative innovations in land reform and military-agricultural integration
– The harsh realities of his authoritarian rule
– The cultural bridge he built between Han and indigenous societies

Taiwan’s subsequent development under Zheng’s descendants and Qing rulers would build upon his initial framework, making Zheng Chenggong a pivotal figure in the island’s transition from colonial outpost to Chinese frontier. His tragic story encapsulates both the determined resistance and ultimate impossibility of reversing the Qing conquest, while his nation-building efforts left enduring marks on Taiwan’s historical trajectory.

The Zheng regime’s continuation of Ming rituals and calendar after the Yongli Emperor’s death became increasingly symbolic – what began as resistance gradually transformed into de facto independent rule. This transition, and Taiwan’s resulting unique historical status, would shape East Asian geopolitics for centuries to come.