In 1661, the Southern Ming general Zheng Chenggong expelled the Dutch colonists who invaded Taiwan, successfully recaptured the treasure island of Taiwan, safeguarded the interests of the Chinese nation, and defended China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

1661, the general of the Southern Ming , Zheng Chenggong , expelled the Dutch colonists who invaded Taiwan, successfully recaptured the treasure island of Taiwan, safeguarded the interests of the Chinese nation, and defended China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

But in fact, the dispute between the Zheng family and the Dutch began with the era of Zheng Chenggong's father, Zheng Zhilong, and especially the battle of Liaoluo Bay, which was gradually forgotten, was hailed as a classic example in that era.

During the Tianqi period, Zheng Zhilong set up a banner in Taiwan and erected a commanding flag to consolidate the army and form a complete armed force. He was strong and had political ambitions. After several conflicts with the government army, he was gradually recruited by the Ming Dynasty and was appointed as the sea to defend guerrillas. His troops were included in the Ming Dynasty's official army. Zheng Zhilong also began to use this orthodox identity to create a powerful maritime force belonging to his family in this sea area.

At this time, the Netherlands was known as a "mass coachman". It has been engaged in spice trade in Southeast Asia since the 30th year of Wanli. In order to expand trade with China, a castle was established in Penghu in 1624.

This move touched the red line of the Ming government and sent heavy troops to force them to retreat. Later, due to the maritime ban, the open trade relations between the Netherlands and China were banned. The smuggling routes around Zhangzhou Bay were monopolized by Zheng Zhilong, and the trade interests were greatly affected.

Therefore, as the trade situation is everywhere under the control of China, the Dutch East India Company gradually loses patience, and the decision makers of Batavia decided to force China to agree to its request by means of maritime robbery.

The two sides began to attack each other from July of the sixth year of Chongzhen (1633) until late October. During this period, the Ming army relied on a large number of Junke ships, which had weak firepower but flexible maneuverage; the Netherlands used the Garen ship, which had two or more decks. Although the number was small, it had more powerful firepower. Both sides damaged each other, but neither of them injured the opponent's main combat power.

Until in Liaoluo Bay, the final decisive battle broke out.

At that time, the Dutch fleet had 8 Garen warships and 50 large and small sailboats of the pirate Liu Xiang. "History of Ming Dynasty" records: "The Dutch established a country with strong ships and powerful cannons. Their ships were 300 feet long, 60 feet wide, and more than 2 feet thick. There were 5 masts on the ship and were equipped with 20 feet long giant cannons, which could easily shoot seven or eight miles away. At that time, the maximum range of self-made iron muskets in the Ming Dynasty was not more than three miles, and the firepower gap was obvious.

But the shortcomings of the Galen warship were also obvious. The ship was not very effective in rotating, and was not good at fighting, and it was easy to be at a disadvantage in close combat. This made the Ming army, mainly small and medium-sized warships, mainly had small and medium-sized warships. This made the Ming army, which was mainly small and medium-sized warships, was easily at a disadvantage. The warships had great room to play, especially Zheng Zhilong strengthened the naval gun deck on dozens of newly built European ships, and equipped each with more than 30 British cannons. With the help of the numerical advantage of 50 large warships, 100 fire ships, the overall firepower has steadily surpassed the Dutch fleet.

Moreover, Zheng Zhilong used his own vault to issue rewards to his soldiers: each participant was given two taels of silver, and if the war was extended, an additional five taels were given. Each fire ship had 16 people, and if the Netherlands was burned The ship, give two hundred taels of silver, and a Dutch man gives fifty taels of silver. There must be brave men under the reward, and the people are full of energy and want to fight.

1633 October 22, 1633, the Battle of the Liaoluo Bay broke out. Taking advantage of the weather, Zheng Zhilong's fleet launched an assault on the Dutch fleet in the wind. Ignoring the large number of small guard ships scattered around Liu Xiang's pirates, all the main fleets of the Ming army rushed to the Dutch fleet. A large number of small fire ships were in the main The powerful warship's artillery swarmed up under the cover of the artillery and aimed at the large Garen ships of the Dutch fleet to ignite the fire.

This move of the black tiger and the fire tactic completely stunned the Dutch. In a hurry, there was no strategy to deal with it. In a blink of an eye, two Garen ships were sunk, one was captured, and more than a hundred soldiers on the ship were captured. The rest saw that the situation was not good, and after being severely damaged, they had to flee one after another. After that, 50 warships to which Liu Xiang, who assisted the Dutch, were wiped out in Liaoluo Bay.

In this battle, although the Ming army's small suicide fire ships suffered serious losses and were almost completely damaged, Zheng Zhilong could replenish ships nearby. His sea wolf pack tactics that cover the attack of small suicide fire ships with the firepower of the main warships is indeed a relatively difficult tactic for the Dutch fleet, which has not had much ship supply from afar. After the war, Zheng Zhilong took the opportunity to pursue the victory, not only completely expelled the Dutch from China Sea , but also completely defeated the vassal of Liu Xiang's pirate troops of the Dutch, forcing Liu Xiang to burn himself to death. Later, when the unwilling Dutch came again with nine warships, he was defeated by Zheng Zhilong. Since then, Zheng Zhilong has completely grasped control of the South China Sea and has become the de facto king of the China Sea.

At its peak, the Zheng family had more than 20,000 naval soldiers of various races, controlling Guangdong, Dongyang and Nanyang, basically controlling trade in the South China Sea, and began to charge merchant ship remittance fees for various countries.

It can be said that China's maritime power in the 17th century was not in the hands of the legal Chinese government, nor in the hands of Western colonists. The maritime merchant Zheng Zhilong and the Zheng family representing China's maritime power. Even the once powerful Dutch had to lower their proud heads and gain freedom to enter the "China Sea" by paying taxes.

However, with the complete demise of the Ming Dynasty, the Qing army advanced straight into the front, destroying the Zheng Dynasty headed by Zheng Zhilong. After Zheng Zhilong surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, the huge Zheng Empire was completely defeated.

However, this century-old naval battle was once again well known to the whole world after Zheng He's voyage to the West. Although this battle became the last sound of the Ming naval battle, the huge deterrence of this battle has been maintained for nearly two hundred years on China's coast and the entire East Asian waters.