Li Dan was a prominent early 17th century Chinese merchant. Sometimes known by the Western name Andrea Dittis, he was originally from [[Quanzhou]] in Fujian province.
Li Dan was a prominent early 17th century Chinese merchant. Sometimes known by the Western name Andrea Dittis, he was originally from [[Quanzhou]] in Fujian province.
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Li operated out of [[Manila]] for a time before moving to [[Hirado]], in Japan and becoming a part of the ''[[shuinsen]]'' trade, with a formal vermillion seal license from the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. He served as the head of the Chinese community in Hirado, and maintained a residence in the [[British East India Company|English]] sector of the city.
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Li operated out of [[Manila]] for a time before moving to [[Hirado]], in Japan, and becoming a part of the ''[[shuinsen]]'' trade, with a formal vermillion seal license from the [[Tokugawa shogunate]]. Prior to becoming a more honest trader, he was a ''[[wako|wakô]]'' leader, though he did eventually put that behind him. He served as the head of the Chinese community in Hirado, and maintained a residence in the [[British East India Company|English]] sector of the city. He had particularly close relationships with members of the [[Matsuura clan]], as well as with the ''[[Nagasaki bugyo|Nagasaki bugyô]]'' and other shogunal officials.
Following his death, Li Dan's business was inherited by [[Zheng Zhilong]], along with his role in the community.
Following his death, Li Dan's business was inherited by [[Zheng Zhilong]], along with his role in the community.
==References==
==References==
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*''This article was written by [[User:LordAmeth]] and contributed to both S-A and Wikipedia; the author gives permission for his work to be used in this way.''
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**Arano Yasunori. "The Formation of a Japanocentric World Order." ''International Journal of Asian Studies'' 2:2 (2005). pp185-216.
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*This article's content is based on that from the corresponding article on the Japanese Wikipedia.