A historical poem that honors the legendary life and formidable legacy of Ching Shih, the undisputed pirate queen of the South China Sea.
Empress of the South China Seas by Christopher Haywood 17 September 2026 Where South China waters churn heavy and wide, A widow rose up with the ocean's own tide. No emperor’s decree could govern her hand, She ruled forty thousand across sea and land. Her laws were of iron, her word absolute— No plunder unshared, and no thief with his loot. With hundreds of junks bearing canvas of red, The empires of Europe beheld her with dread. The Qing and the Portuguese launched their attack, Yet her fleet in the bay drove the battle-line back. She outfought the crown and she outmaneuvered the state, Till they offered her peace at the emperor's gate. She surrendered her sails, but retained all her gold, A pirate supreme who grew peaceful and old. Though dynasties crumbled and admirals fell, The terror of Canton lives on in the swell.
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