The Biography of Zheng Chenggong is a biographical historical work detailing the life and deeds of Zheng Chenggong, a national hero of the late Ming also known as Lord of the Imperial Surname. It was written by Zheng Yizou, a Qing-era jinshi and historian, courtesy name Juzhong, from Haicheng, Fujian. The book was completed in the forty-fifth year of the Kangxi reign (around 1706). At the time, the author served as a Secretariat Clerk. After retiring to Baiyun Cave, he wrote this biography, just over twenty years after Zheng Chenggong's death. Its sources are relatively close to the events, and its familial and regional perspective makes its account of the Zheng family especially detailed. Usually divided into two volumes, it is an important early record that systematically compiled historical material on Zheng Chenggong's life.
The Biography of Zheng Chenggong recounts his background, military career, political activities, and resistance against the Qing in chronological order, covering his succession to his father's cause, his leadership of troops against the Qing, his organization of maritime forces, and his recovery of Taiwan. The book records not only Zheng Chenggong's victories and strategies, but also his relations with the Qing court and the late-Ming Southern Ming government, along with many details about his generals, attendants, and family. It draws on biographies and accounts from various sources, making the narrative rich and detailed.
The Biography of Zheng Chenggong also includes other relevant historical materials, such as the biography of Zheng Zhilong from the Biographies of the Qing History and the biography of Zheng Chenggong from the Draft History of Qing, as well as supplementary texts including The Collected Works of the Two Princes of Yanping and An Examination of the Ming Official Titles Bestowed upon Prince Yanping Zheng. These appendices add depth to the historical sources and enhance the book's research value.
For modern readers and historians, The Biography of Zheng Chenggong is not only a foundational introduction to the historical figure Zheng Chenggong, but also an important source for understanding the maritime resistance against the Qing during the Ming-Qing transition, political and military changes along the southeastern coast, and the rise and fall of the Ming-Zheng regime. Because it was written relatively early and close to the historical events, it is regarded as an important reference for research on Zheng Chenggong's biography and Southern Ming history.
