Zheng Yi Sao was a pirate leader so formidable that she made Blackbeard and Captain Morgan look like amateurs. From humble beginnings as a sex worker in Canton, she rose to command a vast pirate fleet that wrought havoc in the South China Sea. She took on the Qing Dynasty, the Portuguese and the East India Company and still managed to walk away free.

In the second episode of our 'Pirates' mini-series, Dan is joined by Andrew Choong, Curator of Historic Photographs & Ship Plans at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, to uncover the story of one of history's most successful buccaneers.

You can discover more about the exhibition and book tickets here.

Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal Patmore.

Join Dan and the team for the first-ever LIVE recording of Dan Snow's History Hit on Friday 12th September 2025!

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Pirates: Piracy in the South China Seas

Dan Snow's History Hit