Wang Zhi

Who is Wang Zhi?

Wang Zhi was a Chinese pirate and trader of the 16th century, one of the chief named and known figures among the wokou prevalent at the time. It is said he was aboard the Portuguese ship of Fernão Mendes Pinto when it landed on Tanegashima, off the coast of Japan in 1543, marking the first contact between Europe and Japan.

In 2000, a monument was erected to Wang Zhi in his hometown of Huangshan City. In 2005, two Chinese professors defaced this monument, explaining that Wang Zhi was a "race traitor".