The Pirate Who Built Temples

Cheung Po Tsai is widely recognized as one of the most successful pirates in history. In the early nineteenth century, he commanded the massive Red Flag Fleet alongside his adoptive mother and wife, the formidable Cheng Yi Sao, in the waters surrounding modern-day Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta. Tin Hau, on the other hand, is the Goddess of the Sea and protector of honest seafarers, shielding fishermen and merchants from maritime hazards—including pirates.

If anything, Tin Hau should have been Cheung Po Tsai’s fiercest spiritual enemy. Yet, paradoxically, local folklore claims that Cheung Po Tsai built temples across Hong Kong (Stanley, Cheung Chau, Ma Wan) specifically dedicated to her. Why?

This paradox is particularly troublesome from a theological point of view: why would a ruthless pirate honour a goddess who protects honest seafarers from people like him? In reality, pirates did not view Tin Hau as a moral enforcer of imperial laws, but solely as a pragmatic controller of the weather and tides.

Furthermore, they invested in these temples as a propaganda tool. Because they depended on coastal villages for food, fresh water, and logistical support, pirates needed locals to view them as pious, culturally integrated protectors rather than mindless bandits.

Tin Hau temples also served as neutral diplomatic nodes where pirates, village elders, merchants and corrupt Qing officials could negotiate. By erecting these neutral spaces, Cheung Po Tsai could effectively claim ownership over key local communication hubs while continuing to collect protection money (i.e. racketing villagers) uninterrupted.

In 1810, however, Cheung Po Tsai surrendered to the Qing authorities following a series of naval battles against the Qing and Portuguese navies.