Did you know that the chances of a pirate dying of natural causes is 1 in 96,294? Okay, that statistic is made up, but this story of Ching Shih the Fierce Pirate is 100% true! In this episode of Story Hotline, Ella tells Tina all about one of the most prolific pirates of all time. Ching Shih lived in the 19th century and commanded a fleet of around 300 ships. But, perhaps most impressively, she died of natural causes rather than by rootin’, bootin’ and lootin’ like her colleagues.
Listen on to hear how a Cantonese woman of humble beginnings became the biggest threat to Chinese maritime activity. Plus, follow us on Instagram to see photos of Ching Shih and stay up to date with the podcast www.instagram.com/storyhotlinepodcast/.
Trigger warning: this episode discusses violence so may not be suitable for young listeners. We specifically mention sexual assault from 15m38s to 18m00s, so if this makes you feel uncomfortable please skip ahead.
Plus, anything we miss in this episode about piracy laws or new information on Ching Shih, we’ll discuss in our End of Season Wrap Up!
This episode was produced by Tina Victoria Afshar and Ella Mumby, full editing and audio work by Samuel J Mitchell (thank you Sammy!!!!).
