The Battle of Penghu ended the Kingdom of Tungning and completed Qing dynasty control over Taiwan.
Key Facts
- Date
- July 16, 1683
- Qing commander
- Admiral Shi Lang
- Tungning commander
- Admiral Liu Guoxuan
- Warships per side
- More than 200 each
- Force ratio
- Qing outnumbered Tungning 3 to 1
- Outcome
- Tungning surrender; end of Kingdom of Tungning
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Kingdom of Tungning, established by the Zheng family after Ming loyalists retreated to Taiwan, remained the last holdout against Qing rule. The Qing dynasty sought to eliminate this rival state and bring Taiwan under imperial control, deploying Admiral Shi Lang with a large fleet to assault the strategically vital Penghu archipelago.
In July 1683, Shi Lang led a Qing fleet of over 200 warships against the Tungning forces defending Penghu. Though both sides possessed comparable numbers of ships, the Qing fleet outnumbered the Tungning forces three to one in total strength. Admiral Liu Guoxuan's flagship exhausted its ammunition, forcing him to flee to Taiwan, and the Tungning defense of Penghu collapsed.
The fall of Penghu removed the last defensible barrier between the Qing fleet and Taiwan. Zheng Keshuang, the last king of Tungning, surrendered to the Qing dynasty, ending the Kingdom of Tungning and integrating Taiwan into the Qing empire for the first time.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Shi Lang.
Side B
1 belligerent
Liu Guoxuan, Zheng Keshuang.