Zheng Chenggong (鄭成功)
Zheng Chenggong (1624–1662), known as Koxinga, was a Ming loyalist and naval commander who reclaimed Taiwan. His upbringing combined Confucian scholarship and maritime heritage. In Bazi terms his **丙日主** supported by strong **比肩** and active **七杀** reveals a bold leader with tactical insight, fierce loyalty and an uncompromising will to resist, ultimately channeling personal loss into national struggle.
BaZi Chart
Birth Time Verification
Core Analysis
Zheng Chenggong's natal pillars (甲子 壬申 丙寅 丙申) place a Yang Fire 日主 (丙) at the center, reinforced by 比肩 through a duplicated 丙 in day and hour. This configuration creates a self-reliant, charismatic core with strong personal will and leadership drive. The presence of 寅 (supporting wood) feeds the fire, enhancing initiative and pioneering energy.
Simultaneously the chart carries significant 七杀 influences (申中庚、壬的交互象征) and active 食神/output stars, producing decisive martial impulse, strategic aggressiveness and flexible command in naval and siege contexts. The coexistence of 印 (resources, learning) represented by 甲 and supportive 大运 elements explains his scholarly grounding and capacity to organize logistics and governance after conquest.
Clashes between fire and water/metal elements (notably 壬申 and 子) create recurring external pressure and vulnerability to betrayal or sudden reversals—historically reflected in internal defections such as Shi Lang's. Crucially, the 大运 cycle 丙子 (1658–1667) coincides with his Taiwan campaign (1661–1662): a peak period where 比肩 energy and martial 七杀 were mobilized effectively, enabling naval crossing and victory but also exposing health and longevity risks from elemental clash.
Overall the chart reads as a dominant 比肩-七杀格局 balanced by 印生身 and 食神—a personality built for leadership, military command and pioneering settlement, yet marked by intense external struggle and a fate shortened by elemental conflict.
Traits
Leadership
High score driven by a strong 丙日主 supported by duplicated 比肩; this provides initiative, personal authority and the capacity to command fleets and troops effectively.
Military Strategy
Excellent, because active 七杀 and productive 食神 combine aggression with creative tactics—explains success in naval battles and sieges such as the Taiwan campaign.
Loyalty and Resolve
Markedly strong: 印 elements and Confucian training nourish a sense of duty and legitimacy, while 比肩 fuels personal commitment, accounting for unwavering anti-Qing resistance.
Health and Longevity
Lower score due to elemental conflict between 丙 (fire) and recurring 壬/子/申 water-metal influences; the chart shows stressors that correlate with an early demise.
Timeline
Returning Home for Early Education, Beginning the Path to Scholarly Distinction
At seven, Zheng Chenggong was brought back from Japan by his father Zheng Zhilong to Anping Town, Nan'an County, Quanzhou Prefecture, Fujian (now Anhai Town, Jinjiang), and renamed Zheng Sen. From then on he began systematic Confucian education, laying a solid foundation for a lifetime of literary and military prowess.
The Literary Star Shines: Xiucai at Fourteen
Zheng Chenggong passed the xiucai examination at fourteen, ranking among Nan'an County's stipend scholars. His early studies were successful, laying a solid cultural foundation for his future career.
Joyous Union: Marrying a Noblewoman from a Distinguished Family
Zheng Chenggong married Dong You, the daughter of Dong Yan, a Minister of Rites; a union between two prominent families.
Studying in Jinling; meeting renowned teachers; the name Da Mu begins to shine
Zheng Chenggong enters Nanjing Guozijian to study, becomes the pupil of the famed Jiangsu–Zhejiang scholar Qian Qianyi, and receives the courtesy name 'Da Mu'. This marks an important stage of learning and enlightenment in his life, laying the foundation for his future literary and martial prowess.
Graceful bearing; granted the imperial surname
Zheng Sen, due to his outstanding talent, earns the favor of Southern Ming's Longwu Emperor Zhu Yijian; he is granted the imperial surname 'Zhu' and given the name 'Chenggong' (Success). From then on he is known as the 'Master Zhu' and rises onto the historical stage.
Jinmen uprising; loyalty and filial piety as banner
Zheng Chenggong swears in at Little Jinmen under the title 'Loyalty and Filial Grand General for Suppressing Treason, bearer of the imperial surname', officially launching his grand anti-Qing campaign.
Yanping Strategy Proposed; First to Hold the Military Command Token
Zheng Chenggong submitted a military strategy memorandum to the Southern Ming Longwu Emperor stationed in Yanping. He gained favor, was granted the title of Count of Zhongxiao and appointed General of Suppression, and was awarded the Shangfang sword, officially launching his military career.
Haicheng First Battle: Momentum Blunted
Zheng Chenggong joined forces with Zheng Cai's troops to attack Haicheng, but failed to capture it; his first large-scale military operation suffered a setback.
Southward Banner Campaign: Conquer Tong'an
Zheng Chenggong led a campaign in 1648, successfully capturing Tong’an County, further consolidating and expanding his military and political influence in southern Fujian.
March South to Expand Territory: Zhangpu and Yunxiao Stabilize the Realm
Koxinga (Zheng Chenggong) leads his forces south, capturing Zhangpu, Yunxiao, and other areas, and pacifying outposts such as Dahao and Xiamei, thereby expanding vital grain sources and bases for the anti-Qing cause.
Flagbearers Move South to Chaozhou
Under the pretext of unclear stance, he decisively dispatched troops to Chaozhou, defeated the garrison commander Hao Shangjiu, and seized Jieyang, Puning, and other areas, expanding his influence.
Moonlit Stratagem Defining the Realm; Cleverly Seize Xiamen to Build a Foundation
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, with swift methods he assassinated his clan uncle Zheng Lian, forcing Zheng Cai to hand over control of Xiamen and Kinmen, successfully seizing a crucial maritime base and laying a solid foundation for the anti-Qing effort.
Moonlit Stratagem Defining the Realm; Cleverly Seize Xiamen to Build a Foundation
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, via swift means he assassinated his clan uncle Zheng Lian, forcing Zheng Cai to surrender Xiamen and Kinmen’s military powers, successfully seizing a crucial maritime base and laying a solid foundation for the subsequent anti-Qing effort.
Ambush at Jiangdong Bridge: Seven Killings Turned into Power to Decide Fate
Zheng Chenggong laid an ambush at Jiangdong Bridge, using a smaller force to overcome a larger one, decisively defeating Qing general Chen Jin, annihilating a large number of enemy troops, and riding the victory to capture Changtai, securing a pivotal triumph.
FAQ
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