Cheung Po Tsai
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| Cheung Po Tsai | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Pirate |
| Place of birth: | Xinhui, Jiangmen, China |
| Allegiance: | Qing Dynasty |
| Years of service: | c. 1800-1810 |
| Rank: | Admiral |
| Base of Operations: | Hong Kong |
| Later work: | Qing Admiral of the Imperial Chinese navy |
Cheung Po Tsai (Cantonese, Jēung Bóu Jái in Yale transcription) or Chang Pao Tsai (in Wade-Giles) (traditional Chinese: 張保仔; simplified Chinese: 张保仔; pinyin: Zhāng Bǎozǎi) was a 19th century Chinese pirate. He was also known as Cheung Po/Chang Pao/Zhang Bao ("Cheung Po Tsai" literally means "Cheung Po the Kid").
Several places in Hong Kong are linked to Cheung Po Tsai:
- Cheung Po Tsai Cave, on Cheung Chau island. It is a small cave, said to be the place where he stored his treasure
- Cheung Po Tsai built several temples dedicated to the goddess Tin Hau and seafaring activities on Ma Wan, Cheung Chau, and Stanley.
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[edit] Biography
A famous pirate in Hong Kong, he was a fisherman's son who lived in Xinhui of Jiangmen but was kidnapped by the pirate Cheng I and his wife Ching Shih when he was 15. According to legend he became the pirate and his wife's lover. However he was adopted by the kidnappers as their son. After Cheng I died, Ching Shih had a love affair with her adopted son and soon married him, having already made him her lieutenant. Cheung Po later took over the pirating business from his adopted parents.
Cheung Po Tsai was active along the Guangdong coastal area during the Qing Dynasty. His followers are said to have reached 50,000 and his fleet said to have possessed 600 ships. His piracy mate was Cai Qian and the worked together until Cai Qian was destroyed by the Qing government, making Cheung decide to surrender. Cheung Po capitulated to the Chinese government in 1810 and became a captain in the Qing imperial navy, receiving the rank of navy colonel and an appointment in Penghu, far away Hong Kong. He spent rest of his life in a very comfortable government position.
[edit] In popular culture
- The 1973 Hong Kong action film The Pirate (Da hai dao) has Cheung Po Tsai as its lead character.[1]
- The 1983 Hong Kong action film Project A depicts a character based on Cheung Po Tsai. The lead villain, San Po (played by Dick Wei) is a pirate with similar characteristics. It should be noted that Project A's time period is a composite of several in Hong Kong's history.
- The movie Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End depicts a pirate named Sao Feng as a member of the Brethren Court. This character is based on Cheung Po Tsai, although the film is set many years before he lived.
[edit] References
- ^ Da hai dao at the Internet Movie Database.
[edit] External links
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