The Most Feared Pirate of the South China Sea

It began in the crowded harbors of Guangdong, where intelligent woman, Zheng Yi Sao, worked aboard a floating brothel. Through strategy, negotiation and an unshakable understanding of power, she went on to become the leader of 70,000 pirates, command hundreds of ships and take control over trade in the South China Sea—making her one of the most feared pirates ever recorded in history.   Sources: ⁠History of the Pirates Who Infested the China Sea From 1807 to 1810⁠ ⁠Royal Museums Greenwich⁠ ⁠Great Explorers: Zheng Yi Sao⁠ ⁠Cheng Yi Sao, Female pirate extraordinaire ⁠ ⁠Zheng Yi Sao: The most successful pirate you’ve never heard of⁠ ⁠Chinese piracy in the late 18th and 19th centuries  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices