A Kingdom Divided: The Ming Dynasty’s Impossible Choices

The mid-17th century presented the crumbling Ming Dynasty with an impossible trilemma. As the imperial court grappled with three existential crises simultaneously, its capacity to govern distant territories evaporated. The Donglin faction’s defeat by eunuch power brokers left the bureaucracy in disarray, peasant revolts erupted across northern China, and the Manchu warlord Nurhaci’s forces pressed relentlessly from the northeast. This perfect storm of disasters rendered the Ming government incapable of addressing European encroachment in Taiwan – a strategic oversight that would reshape East Asian history.

The Rise of a Pirate Prince: Zheng Chenggong’s Formative Years

Better known to Western historians as Koxinga, Zheng Chenggong emerged from unlikely origins. Born to pirate king Zheng Zhilong and a Japanese mother in 1624, this multicultural warlord became the Ming loyalists’ last hope. His father’s surrender to the Qing in 1646 transformed the young Zheng from privileged heir to fugitive commander. By 1659, after a catastrophic defeat at Nanjing that cost 100,000 lives, the resourceful strategist faced a critical decision: where to establish an impregnable base for continued resistance.

The Taiwan Gambit: Military Necessity Meets Patriotic Fervor

Historical consensus confirms Taiwan’s selection as primarily strategic – the island offered natural defenses, agricultural potential, and distance from Qing forces. Yet personal correspondence reveals Zheng’s deeper motivations. His proclamation at the Jinmen departure ceremony blended practical concerns with poetic nationalism: “This humble commander vows restoration… Not for overseas conquest do we brave the waves, but to reclaim unwilling lands for our righteous cause.”

Dissent in the Ranks: The Perilous Crossing Debate

Senior officers voiced vehement objections to the Taiwan campaign during early 1661 war councils. Naval commanders cited seasonal monsoons, while superstitious generals warned of inauspicious feng shui. The core concern, however, was tactical: no Chinese force had successfully invaded Taiwan since the Yuan Dynasty’s failed 1292 attempt. Without reliable charts or local allies, the 180-kilometer Taiwan Strait crossing appeared suicidal.

The Inside Man: How a Double Agent Changed History

Unknown to his skeptical commanders, Zheng possessed a decisive advantage – intelligence from He Bin, a former associate of Zheng Zhilong who had infiltrated the Dutch East India Company as an interpreter. For years, this mole transmitted detailed reports on:
– Fortifications around Fort Zeelandia
– Dutch troop deployments
– Tidal patterns in the Taiwan Strait
This intelligence convinced Zheng that a surprise attack through the undefended northern channel at Lu’ermen was feasible.

The Daring Invasion: A Campaign Defined by Tides

### The Race Against Time
On March 23, 1661, Zheng’s 300-junk armada departed under stormy skies. When tempests battered the fleet near Penghu on March 24, officers begged for delay. Zheng’s legendary response – “When ice hardens, we cross; heaven wills it!” – spurred the fleet onward through gale-force winds.

### Nature’s Battlefield Advantage
Arriving at dawn on April 1, Zheng faced two entry options into Taijiang Bay:
1. Southern Route : Heavily fortified with Dutch warships and shore batteries
2. Northern Lu’ermen Channel: A narrow, reef-strewn passage deemed unnavigable by Europeans

Choosing the improbable northern approach, Zheng banked everything on a celestial phenomenon – the spring tide’s 4-meter surge. As midday approached with no tidal movement, desperation mounted until, as chroniclers recorded, “the sea rose like ten thousand stampeding horses.”

The Lightning Campaign: 9 Months That Reshaped Asia

### Shock and Awe at Fort Provintia
Dutch Governor Frederick Coyett watched in disbelief as Zheng’s vanguard of 5,000 troops landed at Heliao Harbor. The superior Chinese numbers, combined with innovative fire-arrow tactics, overwhelmed European positions.

### The Siege of Fort Zeelandia
From April 1661 to February 1662, Zheng employed psychological warfare against the Dutch:
– Encircling the fort with 28,000 troops
– Cutting freshwater supplies
– Using captured artillery against its original owners

The final surrender on February 1, 1662, ended 38 years of Dutch colonial rule and established East Asia’s first Chinese-led maritime kingdom.

Legacy of a Seminal Campaign

Zheng’s Taiwan campaign represents a landmark in military history for its:
1. Meteorological Precision: One of history’s earliest documented uses of tidal warfare
2. Intelligence Triumph: Demonstrating the decisive value of embedded agents
3. Geopolitical Impact: Creating a base that sustained Ming loyalist resistance until 1683

Though Zheng died months after his victory, his daring cross-strait campaign permanently altered Taiwan’s destiny, proving that even against technological disadvantages, strategic ingenuity could triumph. The reclaimed island would remain under Chinese administration until the 1895 Treaty of Shimonoseki, establishing patterns of sovereignty that continue influencing regional politics today.