清朝民變
(
1761年～
1809年)
蔡牽（1761年－1809年），福建同安人。傢境貧寒，幼喪父母。乾隆五十九年（1794年）因饑荒而下海為盜寇，船幫馳騁於閩、浙、粵海面，劫船越貨，封鎖航道，收“出洋稅”，與出沒香港海盜張保仔互相支援呼應，二人皆是“安南國艇匪”，蔡娶妻美豔，也是女海盜，能自造炮彈，人稱“
蔡牽媽”。嘉慶七年（1802年），率船隊攻廈門海口的大、小擔山登岸奪炮。嘉慶九年（1804年）
蔡牽駛至臺灣鹿耳門，在浮鷹洋面破溫州鎮水師。浙江提督李長庚率兵鎮壓（蔡自言：“不怕千萬兵，衹怕李長庚”），在定海洋面擊敗
蔡牽。次年稱鎮海王，船隊駛入臺灣鳳山（今高雄），包圍臺灣府城。嘉慶十二年鼕十二月（1807年）李長庚與福建水師提督張見升在廣東黑水外洋合擊
蔡牽，
蔡牽在衹剩大船三艘的情況下於船尾發炮，擊殺李長庚。嘉慶十四年（1809年）李長庚部將王得祿、邱良功分接任福建、浙江提督，合兵圍攻
蔡牽於浙江臺州漁山外洋，血戰一晝夜，
蔡牽彈丸射盡竟以銀為彈，次日寡不敵衆，開炮自炸座船，與妻小及部衆250餘人沉海而死（一說
蔡牽自摟金錨投海自盡），餘衆4000降服；閩南語俗諺所謂：“
蔡牽造炮炸自己（自作自受）”是也。
馬祖島上媽祖廟，為
蔡牽捐資蓋建。
另傳有
蔡牽金銀寶藏，現仍藏於馬祖列島尚未尋獲，但是幸運者可在每年中秋節自海上特殊角度，在月光照耀下，發現特別明亮珠寶光出現。
Cai Qian (1761 -1809), the Fujian with Tongan. Poor family, young parents mourning. Fifty-nine Qianlong (1794) as a result of famine and the sea Bandits, Chuanbang surf in Fujian, Zhejiang, Guangdong area, and ships more goods, blocked routes, collect "taxes went abroad", and the haunted pirate Cheung Po Tsai in Hong Kong mutual support echo, 2 everyone is "Annan Guo boat bandits", Cai glamorous wife, also a female pirate, can be self-made shells, called "Cai Qian Ma." Jiaqing seven years (1802), Haikou, Xiamen attack rate of the fleet of large and small Tam Hill won the shot landing. Jiaqing nine (1804) Cai Qian Luerhmen near Taiwan, the floating town of Wenzhou Eagle Navy break the ocean surface. Zhejiang Admiral Li Ch'ang-keng shuaibing repression (Cai itself as: "Do not afraid of soldiers, I am afraid Li Ch'ang-keng"), in the ocean surface will beat Cai Qian. Zhenhai Wang said the following year, the fleet sailed into the Taiwan Fengshan (now Kaohsiung), surrounded by Taiwan Tainan. Jiaqing year, winter in December (1807) and the Fujian Admiral Zhang Li Ch'ang-keng see Blackwater oceanic joint attack in Guangdong Sheng Cai Qian, Cai Qian ship in only three cases in the stern fired, kill Li Ch'ang-keng. Jiaqing 14 years (1809) Li Ch'ang-keng Department of Wang Delu, Chiu Liang-kung points take over Fujian, Zhejiang, Admiral, combined forces laid siege to Cai Qian in Taizhou, Zhejiang Yushan oceanic, bloody battle a day and night, Cai Qian bullet shot to do actually with silver shells The next day outnumbered, fired from the fried Zuo Chuan, with his wife and children and more than 250 Department of Public Shen died (some say Cai Qian Jin anchor Touhai himself from the hug), Yuzhong 4000 yield; the so-called Taiwanese proverb: "Cai Qian Fried made guns themselves (ourselves) "is also.