Tang He Builds Defense against Japanese Pirates

By Zhao Longbin

Tang He (1326-1395) was appointed to command an army to repel the invading Japanese pirates in January, 1384, the 17th year of the reign of Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Large groups of Japanese pirates had just invaded Zhejiang, a coastal province in eastern China. The pirates looted coastal communities and carried out massacres. It reported that the pirates put babies upon the tip of their spears and cut open the bellies of pregnant women.

The emperor thought of Tang He, a military general who helped found the dynasty. Though Tang was about to retire, the emperor thought he was the best military commander for the campaign. So Tang He was appointed. Tang suggested bringing Fang Mingqian as his assistant. Fang was a nephew of Fang Guozhen, a local warlord who once ruled Zhejiang. Tang He defeated Fang Guozhen and captured Fang Mingqian. Fang Mingqian surrendered. Tang He married his daughter to Fang. When Tang He informed Fang Mingqian of his new military commission, Fang suggested organizing local armies in Zhejiang to form coastal defense. Tang He thought it a wise strategy. The coastal line of Zhejiang was long and the pirates moved around. It would be hard to predict where and when Japanese pirates would make the next move. The government did not have so many troops to deploy the whole length of the coastal Zhejiang. The best strategy was to arm local residents and organize themselves into militias to protect themselves and support each other. The emperor approved the strategy.

Tang He did his field study along Zhejiangs shoreline. And he built 59 military outposts in strategic spots. Ningcun, one of the outposts, guarded the estuary of Oujiang River, where it empties itself into East China Sea. Tang Hes design of an outpost was a stone fort. It was designed for defense. Each fort had itself encircled by a high stone wall, which was then protected by a circling moat. Inside the fortress were barracks and training grounds where troops could train and prepared defense and offence. The Ningcun Outpost was a central fort in the region. It supported and protected the three neighboring small villages.

Building a military outpost was not an easy thing to do. It demanded a great mount of manpower, material and money. For example, local residents were urged to give up stone utensils for the building of military outposts. Many grumbled. Tang He talked to local residents about the necessity of forts and necessary sacrifice. The residents were persuaded by Tangs argument. Outposts were built.

Tang He organized local militias. He issued an order that if a household had four adult men, one of them must join the militias. The local militias, the local government troops, and Tang Hes special force joined hands to form a defense. Tang Hes soldiers settled down in outposts.

Ningcun underwent a fierce attack by Japanese pirates in September, 1556. After looting some villages and killing villagers around Ningcun, the pirates turned their blunt attack on Ningcun. When the defense used up all the arrows, the soldiers heated urns filled with night soil and dropped them upon the pirates trying to surmount the wall. The bombs decided the battle. The pirates withdrew.

The heroes who died in the battle are now buried in the big tomb. The sculptures on the tomb relate the story of the savage battle.□