Page 74 - An Overview of Penghu

and deported the Dutch in the Probidensia Castle. In 1373, all the islanders in Penghu were ordered to
move back to mainland China; they settled down in Zhangzhou and Quanzhou in 1388 because General
Tang He did not believe that they surrendered to the Ming government. He even abolished the military
office in Penghu, and prohibited people from living on the Island. However, ill-minded people still met
up with pirates there, who came to the Island to stay or for water replenishment. Among them, Zen Yi-ben
had rebelled against the Qing government several times during the reign of Emperors Jiajing and
Longqing; those incidents are recorded in the Written Stories of Chikan as well. Penghu people during
this period were not always connected with Japanese Karas. They lived normal lives like other Chinese
nationals and only fought alongside Japanese Karas under certain circumstances.

Europeans and Penghu

The “Red-haired People” is a term that the Chinese used to refer to Europeans. Europeans started
exploring the East around 1506. Advanced European nations, namely Portugal, Spain, and the
Netherlands, competed against each other for progression into the East between the end of the 14th
century and the beginning of the 17th century. The Spanish took over the Philippines in 1514. They
attempted to travel north from Manila to invade Taiwan in 1543, but their plan ended in a debacle when
they were struck by a typhoon in the Bashi Channel. In May 1627, they gave the plan another try by
deploying twelve ships, and succeeded this time. They then built Fort San Salvado and Fort San Videncia
in Sheliao Island of Keelung before turning to Huwei (known as Tamsui now) and built Fort Santo
Domingo. Besides mining coal and sulfur in Tamsui, the Spanish also engaged in preaching and
assimilating the indigenous people. The Portuguese had been trading with the Ming government since
1518. They first rented Xianggangao (known as Macau today) from the government, and later occupied
Magang in 1558, before retreating under the pressure of the Ming government. In 1564, the Portuguese
occupied Magang again, but the nation per se was taken over by Spain in 1581. Although Portugal
became independent again later, it never regained its full force and disappeared from the stage in the end.
Then there were the Dutch, who had been engaged in trade with East India since 1599 and
established the East India Company in 1603. Envious of the Portuguese who could do business with
China by renting Macau, and the Spanish who took over Luzon, the Dutch tried to attack Luzon with their
warships in 1602 but failed. Their plan to invade Macau instead was also unsuccessful.

In July 1603, the Dutch invaded Penghu with two warships. They took the Island with ease because
the Portuguese had already vacated the Island, and the Chinese did not bother to set up defense outposts
there. The Dutch decided to invade Penghu after being persuaded by a Haicheng person in Dani (a region
around Pattani, a southern province of Thailand) named Li Jin and the treacherous merchants, Pan Xiu
and Guo Zhen, who alleged that Zhangzhou was the best option for conducting trade with China. They
told the Dutch that by securing an island called Penghu in Southern Zhangzhou, they would be able to do
business with China from there with ease. Also, since tax officer Gao Cai was a greedy figure, the Dutch
could make the plan work with a great sum of bribe. The Dutch general, Wijbrant Van Waarwick, became
highly interested in the plan and spared no effort to work on it. Meanwhile, Li Jin produced three fake
letters from the king of Dani and assigned Pan Xiu and Guo Zhen to send them to Gao Cai, a local officer,
and Defense General Tao Gong-sheng. Tao was troubled by the content of the letter, and demanded
officers to arrest Pan Xiu. Guo Zheng thus refrained from invading Penghu. In contrast, Gao Cai sent
Zhou Zhi-fan to negotiate with the Dutch, offering them permission to conduct trade if they could pay
30,000 in gold, which the Dutch gladly accepted. Unfortunately, the Dutch invasion coincided with the
inspection of General Shi De-zheng, who dispatched Shen You-rong to dispel the Dutch. Although the
Dutch had entered Penghu by the time, they only lingered for several days before withdrawing, as they
had no chance of defeating the Chinese Navy.

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