The Record of the Campaigns is a historical chronicle of exceptional documentary value, covering the period from the late Ming to the early Qing. Its author, Yang Ying, served as a household official to the Prince of Yanping and held an important military and administrative post under Zheng Chenggong. From the third year of the Yongli reign (1649) to its sixteenth year (1662), he witnessed and recorded Zheng Chenggong’s campaigns and the details of his government. The work is a rare primary source for studying Zheng Chenggong’s campaigns in Taiwan and the history of the southern coastal frontier.
The book consists of a single, unsectioned volume written in annalistic style. It records events in detail by year and month, following Yang Ying and Zheng Chenggong through the entire process, from preparations and expeditions to battles, governance, and the conclusion of their campaigns. As Yang Ying served for many years as a household administrator, responsible for provisions and finances, his account covers not only military operations but also logistics, policy implementation, and how the administration worked in practice. It is an important source for understanding the military and government operations of the Zheng regime.
The Record of the Campaigns is written in plain, unadorned language and largely describes events the author witnessed or took part in himself. It sometimes quotes original government memorials and orders, lending its contents considerable credibility and detail. The work is invaluable for studying Zheng Chenggong’s recovery of Taiwan and the southward migration and military campaigns of the anti-Qing forces at the end of the Ming. It also helps modern readers understand the practical realities of military and political organization, local governance, and wartime strategy.
As a primary source that complements official histories, The Record of the Campaigns is an important academic reference for historians, scholars of Taiwanese history, and readers interested in maritime powers and Sino-foreign relations at the end of the Ming. It is also a precious window onto the realities of that turbulent era.
