| According to legends which are most probably apocryphal, Lim is often said to have been a prince of the Imperial family who broke away from the [[Ming Dynasty]] and sought to establish his own state. | | According to legends which are most probably apocryphal, Lim is often said to have been a prince of the Imperial family who broke away from the [[Ming Dynasty]] and sought to establish his own state. |
− | Lim left China in [[1573]] with three thousand Chinese, Malay, and Japanese men on several hundred ships, with the aim of establishing a base of operations from which to attack Spanish shipping. He arrived in Manila the following year with more than sixty Chinese vessels, and launched a number of attacks upon Spanish positions, but was ultimately forced to retreat. He then remained in the Philippines for a time, raiding other islands and establishing fortifications. He is also said to have dug a canal at that time which still bears his name today. | + | Lim left China in [[1573]] with three thousand Chinese, Malay, and Japanese men on several hundred ships, with the aim of establishing a base of operations from which to attack Spanish shipping. He arrived in [[Manila]] the following year with more than sixty Chinese vessels, and launched a number of attacks upon Spanish positions, but was ultimately forced to retreat. He then remained in the Philippines for a time, raiding other islands and establishing fortifications. He is also said to have dug a canal at that time which still bears his name today. |