Ep. 230 | The Pirate and Mongol Slayer Qi Jiguang
In this episode, Laszlo introduces one of the great military heroes of the Ming Dynasty, Qi Jiguang. Though rather well-known to Chinese who went through the public school systems of Greater China, little is known of him elsewhere.
Qi Jiguang helped to rid the China coast of pirates (Wōkòu) and through his epic Great Wall restoration engineering project he kept the Mongol menace at bay and preserved the Ming Dynasty for an additional half-century.
His two military treatises were required readings well into modern times and he contributed greatly to the introduction of Chinese martial arts into the military as a training regimen.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Admiral Zhèng Hé | 郑和 | 1371-1433, great explorer, adventurer and diplomat. Led the Ming sea voyages to the west |
| Altan Khan | 阿爾坦汗 | Altan Khan of the Tümed Mongols. Lived 1507–1582 |
| Bādálǐng | 八达岭 | Most famous tourist portion of the Great Wall |
| Dàng Kòu Fēngyún | 荡寇风云 | Movie “God of War” that came out in June 2017 |
| Dìnglíng Tomb | 明定陵 | One of the 13 Ming Tombs, this one containing the remains of Wanli and his two empresses |
| Dēngzhōu | 登州 | Former name of the city of Penglai, now part of the city of Yāntái |
| Fújiàn | 福建 | Coastal province of southern China |
| Fú’ān | 福安 | City in northeast Fujian province |
| Guìzhōu | 贵州 | Province in southwest China |
| Guāng Bīng | 光饼 | Fúzhōu specialty, Called kompia in Malaysia |
| Hung Kam-po | 洪金宝 | One of the all-time great Hong Kong actors/martial artists. Known as Sammo Hung |
| Héběi | 河北 | Province in northern China where the municipality of Beijing is located |
| Hūhéhàotè | 呼和浩特 | Hohhot, the present day capital of Inner Mongolia |
| Jiājìng | 嘉靖 | Long-reigning Ming emperor, 1521-1567 |
| Jìxiào Xīnshū | 纪效新书 | “The New Book on Military Efficiency.” |
| Jìzhōu | 蓟州 | located just east of Beijing and was one of the more heavily fortified areas that defended the capital |
| Jūyōngguān | 居庸关 | Another well-known and visited portion of the Great Wall just north of Beijing |
| Liàn Bīng Shíjì | 练兵实纪 | ”A Practical Account of Troop Training” Qi Jiguang's second great military treatise |
| Lord Shùnyì | 顺义王 | Honorary title bestowed on Altan Khan |
| Lóngqìng | 隆庆 | Short reigning Ming Emperor, son of Jiajing, father of Wanli. Reigned 1567-1572 |
| Míng Dynasty | 明朝 | Second to the last Chinese imperial dynasty 1368-1644 |
| Mínzú yīngxióng | 民族英雄 | national hero |
| Níngbō | 宁波 | Port city in Zhejiang |
| Pénglái | 蓬莱 | Formerly known as Dengzhou, today part of the city of Yantai in Shandong province |
| Quánjīng Jiéyào Piān | 拳經捷要篇 | Chap 14 of Jixiao Xinshu, the Fist Canon and the Essentials of Nimbleness. This chapter dealt with unarmed combat in training and practice. |
| Qī Jìguāng | 戚继光 | 1528-1588, The hero of today's episode |
| Qī Jǐngtōng | 戚景通 | Father of Qi Jiguang |
| Qīng Qiánlóng emperor | 乾隆帝 | Very long reigning Qing emperor, 1735-1796 |
| Sengoku Period | 战国时代 | Historical period in Japan lasting from about 1467-1600 |
| Shandong province | 山东省 | Northern coastal province in China |
| Shàoxīng | 绍兴 | City in Zhejiang |
| Shānhǎiguān | 山海关 | Located on the Hebei coast near Qinghuangdao. Known as the start of the Great Wall |
| Sìkù Quánshū | 四库全书 | The largest collection of books in China history, compiled during the reign of Qianlong....Hardly anything was left out |
| Sūnzǐ Bīngfǎ | 孙子兵法 | Sūnzǐ’s Art of War |
| Temujin | 成吉思汗 | Better known as Genghis Khan |
| Táizhōu | 台州 | Another major city in Zhejiang |
| Tán Lún | 谭纶 | Lived from 1519 –1577. Ming dynasty official, military leader during reign of the Jiajing Emperor |
| Wànlì | 万历 | An even longer reigning Ming emperor, 1572-1620 |
| Wōkòu | 倭寇 | Pirate, literally, Dwarf Bandits. This is what they used to call the Japanese pirates |
| wǔshù | 武术 | martial arts |
| Yunnan | 云南 | Province in southwest China |
| Yuānyāng Zhèn | 鸳鸯枕 | Mandarin Duck Formation |
| Yìwū | 义乌 | City in central Zhejiang |
| Yú Dàyóu | 俞大猷 | Lived from 1503–1579), Ming era general and martial artist. Helped rid China of pirates |
| Zhejiang province | 浙江省 | Rich coastal province in China |
| Zhào Wénzhuó | 赵文卓 | Also known as Vincent Chiu (Chiu Man-cheuk), Harbin-born actor and martial artist |
| Zhèn | 枕 | a battle formation |
| Zhāng Jūzhèng | 张居正 | Lived from 1525–1582), a Mig era reformer and statesman who served as Grand Secretary during the reigns of the Longqing and Wanli emperors. |
| Zhāngzhōu | 漳州 | City in southeast Fujian |
| Zhū Yuánzhāng | 朱元璋 | Founder of the Ming Dynasty, also known as the Hongwu Emperor. reigned 1368-1398 |
Resources
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Podcasts
The CHP’s series on the seven voyages of Zheng He
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Related Episodes
The series concludes in this Part 5 episode that takes Yunnan's history up to 1975.