Shi Lang Shi Lang ( ; 1621 – 1696 ) was a Chinese admiral who served under the Ming and Qing Dynasties . He was commander - in - chief of the Manchu fleets which destroyed the power of the Zheng family in the 1660s , and led the conquest of the Kingdom of Tungning ( 東寧王國 ) on Taiwan in 1683 . Shi later governed part of Taiwan as a marquis . Early life and career . Shi Lang was born to a distinguished lineage in Jinjiang , Fujian , in 1621 . He studied military strategy in his youth , and became particularly proficient in naval warfare . After fighting a number of minor operations locally with his father , he joined Zheng Zhilong ' s naval fleet as captain of the left vanguard . Shi Lang served most of the early 1640s in the Zheng family ' s fleet , where he apparently saw some conflict with Zheng Zhilong ' s son Koxinga ( Zheng Chenggong ) . When Shi defected to the Qing Dynasty in 1646 , Koxinga killed Shi ' s father , brother and son . Campaign against the Zheng family . The Manchu royals prized Shi Lang for his extensive naval experience and his network of contacts in the major trading ports of East Asia . He accompanied Prince Jidu ( son of Jirgalang ) on an expedition in Fujian in 1656 , and attained the rank of Assistant Brigade - General . In the campaign of 1663 against the Zheng family , he commanded Dutch ships and men to follow up the Manchu victories . In 1668 , he submitted a plan to drive the remnants of the Ming from Taiwan and the Pescadores , but the proposal was not utilised . He was given a post in the Imperial Bodyguard and attached to the Chinese Bordered Yellow Banner . Conquest of Taiwan . In 1681 , following the Revolt of the Three Feudatories , the Kangxi Emperor sought a possible leader for an amphibious operation against Taiwan . Following the advice of Li Guangdi , he chose Shi Lang . Shi insisted on having an independent command , not one shared with Yao Qisheng , the Governor - General of Fujian . On 8 July 1683 , after extensive preparation , Shi led a force of 300 warships and 20 , 000 soldiers out of Tongshan , Fujian . On July 16 – 17 , he defeated the Zheng family ' s leading naval commander , Liu Guoxuan , in a major engagement near the Pescadores . On 5 September , Shi received Zheng Keshuang ' s offer to surrender . On 3 October , he reached Taiwan and formally obtained the capitulation of Liu and Zheng . Following this successful campaign , Shi Lang returned to the Chinese mainland and worked hard to persuade the Kangxi Emperor to make Taiwan part of China ' s recognized territory . At the time , there was opposition among many within the Qing government toward the annexation of Taiwan , arguing that its maintenance would become an economic burden on the empire . However , the Kangxi Emperor accepted Shi Lang ' s views , and in 1684 Taiwan was divided into three counties and established as a prefecture of Fujian province . Shi Lang was declared the " General Who Maintains Peace on the Seas " ( 靖海将军 ) and given the hereditary rank of marquis . At his own request , he was specially granted the privilege of wearing an honorary peacock feather . Shi Lang continued at his post in Fujian , seizing almost half of the developed land in southern Taiwan for his own profit . Shi annually extorted monetary resources from rich and poor local communities alike , and instituted policies that deliberately aimed to isolate Taiwan from the rest of the Qing Empire – coastal provinces were forbidden to interact with Taiwan , and even people from inland provinces were disallowed to bring their families with them , effectively preventing them from making any permanent foothold in Taiwan . Although he was later charged with arrogance , in 1688 the Kangxi Emperor received Shi in audience in Beijing and allowed him to sit in the imperial presence , reiterating his confidence in him . Shi returned to Fujian and remained in office there until his death in 1696 . Legacy . Shi Lang was given the posthumous name of " Xiangzhuang " ( 襄壮 ) , and the title of Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent . In 1732 , his name was entered for worship in the Temple of Eminent Statesmen . One of his sons achieved distinction as an admiral , whilst another was a state official . The Shi family was granted the special privilege of burial in their ancestral cemetery in Jinjiang , instead of in Banner lands as was the case with other Bannermen . Though famous for his military achievements , Shi remains a controversial figure in contemporary China . As a defector , his exploits have generally been downplayed by the governments of both Taiwan and the China , and he is remembered in Taiwan as a conqueror and cruel governor . In popular culture . In " The Deer and the Cauldron " , a 1969 wuxia novel by Louis Cha , Shi Lang is appointed by Kangxi to help the protagonist Wei Xiaobao to bombard the Mystic Dragon Cult . Shi Lang succeeds in the mission , but Wei is captured during the battle by Hong Antong – the leader of the cult – and taken to Russia . Shi Lang ' s capture of Taiwan is also briefly described in later chapters .