The Pirates of Macao in Historical Perspective
The history of Macao is closely associated with piracy. It is often said that the Portuguese acquired Macao as a result of helping the Chinese Ming government suppress piracy in the area in the 1550s. Yet some Chinese sources claim that actually the Portuguese were pirates who kidnapped Chinese wome...
Saved in:
| Published in: | Review of Culture |
|---|---|
| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Articles |
| Published: |
Instituto Cultural de Macau
2019
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40060/2595 |
| _version_ | 1877196269787545600 |
|---|---|
| author | Robert J. Antony |
| author_autocomplete | Robert J. Antony |
| author_browse | Robert J. Antony |
| author_facet | Robert J. Antony Robert J. Antony |
| author_sort | Robert J. Antony |
| container_title | Review of Culture |
| container_title_str | Review of Culture |
| container_volume | 60 |
| container_volume_str | 60 |
| description | The history of Macao is closely associated with piracy. It is often said that the Portuguese acquired Macao as a result of helping the Chinese Ming government suppress piracy in the area in the 1550s. Yet some Chinese sources claim that actually the Portuguese were pirates who kidnapped Chinese women and children to sell into slavery. While there is a good bit of truth in both stories, the undeniable fact is that the waters around Macao had always been notorious for piratical activities. Even centuries before the Portuguese settled Macao neighboring islands served as pirate bases. One of the earliest pirates was Huang Yi, who had strongholds on Montanha and Dom Joao islands in the 14th century. But perhaps the most notorious pirate was Zhang Baozai who operated out of bases in Taipa and other nearby islands in the first decade of the 19th century. In the early 20th century a female pirate known as Lai Choi San was dubbed the “Queen of Macao pirates” in Western accounts. While Macao is certainly important for its multiculturalism and as a bridge between East and West, nonetheless piracy reveals another important but darker side of the city’s history. |
| first_indexed | 2026-09-11T02:57:01Z |
| format | Articles |
| genre | Articles |
| genre_facet | Articles |
| hierarchy_browse | Review of Culture{{{_ID_}}}zotero-coll-76L3BRGH |
| hierarchy_parent_id | zotero-coll-76L3BRGH |
| hierarchy_parent_title | Review of Culture |
| hierarchy_sequence | 0000 |
| hierarchy_top_id | zotero-coll-WX87PJHD |
| hierarchy_top_title | News |
| hierarchytype | Default |
| id | zotero-JKNZI8PX |
| institution | zotero_group |
| issn | 1682-1106 |
| last_indexed | 2026-09-11T02:57:01Z |
| latest_content_date | 2026-09-11T02:57:01Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publishDateRange | 2019 |
| publishDateSort | 2019 |
| publishPlace | Macau |
| publisher | Instituto Cultural de Macau |
| publisherStr | Instituto Cultural de Macau |
| record_format | zotero |
| spelling | The Pirates of Macao in Historical Perspective The history of Macao is closely associated with piracy. It is often said that the Portuguese acquired Macao as a result of helping the Chinese Ming government suppress piracy in the area in the 1550s. Yet some Chinese sources claim that actually the Portuguese were pirates who kidnapped Chinese women and children to sell into slavery. While there is a good bit of truth in both stories, the undeniable fact is that the waters around Macao had always been notorious for piratical activities. Even centuries before the Portuguese settled Macao neighboring islands served as pirate bases. One of the earliest pirates was Huang Yi, who had strongholds on Montanha and Dom Joao islands in the 14th century. But perhaps the most notorious pirate was Zhang Baozai who operated out of bases in Taipa and other nearby islands in the first decade of the 19th century. In the early 20th century a female pirate known as Lai Choi San was dubbed the “Queen of Macao pirates” in Western accounts. While Macao is certainly important for its multiculturalism and as a bridge between East and West, nonetheless piracy reveals another important but darker side of the city’s history. Instituto Cultural de Macau Macau Review of Culture Articles 2019 Fanny Loviot. Lai Choi San Pirates Portugal Zhang Baozai Zheng Yi Sao Robert J. Antony |
| spellingShingle | The Pirates of Macao in Historical Perspective Robert J. Antony Fanny Loviot. Lai Choi San Pirates Portugal Zhang Baozai Zheng Yi Sao |
| title | The Pirates of Macao in Historical Perspective |
| title_autocomplete | The Pirates of Macao in Historical Perspective |
| title_full | The Pirates of Macao in Historical Perspective |
| title_fullStr | The Pirates of Macao in Historical Perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Pirates of Macao in Historical Perspective |
| title_short | The Pirates of Macao in Historical Perspective |
| title_sort | the pirates of macao in historical perspective |
| topic | Fanny Loviot. Lai Choi San Pirates Portugal Zhang Baozai Zheng Yi Sao |
| topic_autocomplete | Fanny Loviot. Lai Choi San Pirates Portugal Zhang Baozai Zheng Yi Sao |
| topic_facet | Fanny Loviot. Lai Choi San Pirates Portugal Zhang Baozai Zheng Yi Sao |
| url | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40060/2595 |
| zotero_collection_key | 76L3BRGH |