1683: The Battle of Penghu – S6-E22
In July 1683, more than 400 warships clashed around the Penghu Islands in one of the greatest naval battles in Chinese history. Qing admiral Shi Lang had come to destroy the last major stronghold of Ming loyalist resistance: the Zheng regime on Taiwan. The naval campaign would decide Taiwan’s fate. More than three centuries later, the Battle of Penghu is politically explosive once again. A Chinese blockbuster about Shi Lang’s victory was due to open in late July 2026, complete with the message that “the unification of Taiwan is unstoppable.” Then, just before its release, the movie mysteriously disappeared from cinemas. John and Eryk tell the story of the battle that brought Taiwan under Qing rule, and ask why Beijing got cold feet with their propaganda piece.
Note: this episode is also available as a video (on Spotify and YouTube). Oh, and apologies for the er… creative madness of Eryk’s movie trailer – blame it on the summer heat.
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PocketCasts In July 1683, more than 400 warships clashed around the Penghu Islands in one of the greatest naval battles in Chinese history. Qing admiral Shi Lang had come to destroy the last major stronghold of Ming loyalist resistance: the Zheng regime on Taiwan. The naval campaign would decide Taiwan’s fate. More than three centuries later, the Battle of Penghu is politically explosive once again. A Chinese blockbuster about Shi Lang’s victory was due to open in late July 2026, complete with the message that “the unification of Taiwan is unstoppable.” Then, just before its release, the movie mysteriously disappeared from cinemas. John and Eryk tell the story of the battle that brought Taiwan under Qing rule, and ask why Beijing got cold feet with their propaganda piece.
Note: this episode is also available as a video (on Spotify and YouTube). Oh, and apologies for the er… creative madness of Eryk’s movie trailer – blame it on the summer heat.
Show Notes
Some names from the episode:
Qing admiral Shi Lang (施琅, Shī Láng)
The Zheng commander Liu Guoxuan (劉國軒, Liú Guóxuān)
Penghu (澎湖, Pénghú) – Strategically important archipelago (and main island) in the Taiwan Strait.
Magong (馬公, Mǎgōng) – Penghu’s main city and harbor.
Xiyu (西嶼, Xīyǔ) – Western island of the Penghu group, now joined to the main island by a bridge
The disappearing movie, “The Battle of Penghu” (澎湖海戰, Pénghú Hǎizhàn), internationally titled with the rather insipid name, “The Belief”
WATCH MOVIE TRAILER HERE.
Main Sources
We’d been sitting on this story for a while after reading Young-tsu Wong’s China’s Conquest of Taiwan in the Seventeenth Century: Victory at Full Moon (Springer, 2017). Springer book page
Then we read the following bews item about the PRC movie disappearing and were spurred to action: Guillermo Abril,“China shelves film about great naval epic of the conquest of Taiwan,” Read the El País article
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Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Battle of Penghu?
The Battle of Penghu was a massive 1683 naval clash involving over 400 warships near the Penghu Islands, where Qing admiral Shi Lang defeated the Zheng regime and brought Taiwan under Qing rule.
Who was Shi Lang?
Shi Lang was the Qing dynasty admiral who led the naval campaign that successfully defeated the Ming loyalist Zheng regime on Taiwan in 1683.
Why is the Battle of Penghu still relevant today?
The battle is politically explosive because Beijing frequently uses the history of Shi Lang's victory and Taiwan's incorporation into the Qing empire for modern political narratives and propaganda regarding reunification.