1. Bao Zheng, commonly known as Bao Gong, was a Chinese politician during the reign of Emperor Renzong in China's Song Dynasty.
37 Facts About Bao Zheng
1. 2.
Bao Zheng today is honored as the cultural symbol of justice in Chinese society.
3.
Some Chinese provinces later deified Judge Bao Zheng, equating him to the benevolent war god Guan Gong.
4.
Bao Zheng was born into a scholar family in Shenxian, Hefei, Luzhou.
5.
At the age of 29, Bao Zheng passed the highest-level imperial examination and became qualified as a Jinshi.
6.
Bao Zheng was appointed as magistrate of Jianchang County, but he deferred embarking on his official career for a decade in order to care for his elderly parents and faithfully observe proper mourning rites after their deaths.
7.
Bao Zheng told him to return and slaughter the ox for sale.
8.
In 1040, Bao Zheng was promoted to the prefect of Duanzhou in the south, a prefecture famous for its high-quality inkstones, a certain number of which were presented annually to the imperial court.
9.
Bao Zheng abolished the practice by telling manufacturers to fill only the required quota.
10.
When his tenure was up in 1043, Bao Zheng left without a single inkstone in his possession.
11.
Bao Zheng returned to the capital and was named an investigating censor in 1044.
12.
In 1045, Bao Zheng was sent to the Liao dynasty as a messenger.
13.
Bao Zheng spoke at length on reasons to oppose, spoke hundreds of sentences repeatedly, his voice so loud and agitated that spittle spattered the emperor's face.
14.
In 1057, Bao Zheng was appointed the magistrate of the capital city of Bian.
15.
Bao Zheng held the position for only one year, but he initiated several material administrative reforms, including allowing the citizens to directly lodge complaints with the city administrators, thereby bypassing the city clerks who were believed to be corrupt and in the pay of local powerful families.
16.
Apart from his intolerance of injustice and corruption, Bao Zheng was well known for his filial piety and his stern demeanor.
17.
Bao Zheng had two wives, Lady Zhang and Lady Dong.
18.
Bao Zheng had one son, Bao Zheng Yi, born 1033, and two daughters with Lady Dong.
19.
However, when a young maid Lady Sun in Bao Zheng's family became pregnant, Bao dismissed her back to her hometown.
20.
Bao Zheng died in the Capital City of Kaifeng in 1062.
21.
Bao Zheng's tomb was rebuilt by officials of the Huaixi Road in 1066.
22.
The Bao Zheng portraits preserved by the generations of his descendants and the Baoshi Genealogy were burned.
23.
The relevant personnel set up a relic rescue effort "Bao Zheng Cemetery Clearing and Excavation Leading Group" to excavate and clean up the cemetery.
24.
Bao Zheng's stories were retold and preserved particularly in the form of performance arts such as Chinese opera and pingshu.
25.
Vernacular fiction of Judge Bao Zheng was popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
26.
In legends, because he was born dark-skinned and extremely ugly, Bao Zheng was considered cursed and thrown away by his father right after birth.
27.
Bao Zheng was granted a golden rod by the previous emperor, with which he was authorized to chastise the current emperor.
28.
Bao Zheng was granted an imperial sword from the previous emperor; whenever it was exhibited to the persons surrounding, irrespective of their social classes, they must pay respect and compliance to the person exhibiting the sword as if they were the emperor.
29.
Each of Bao Zheng's guillotines were authorized to execute the corresponding social-ranked person without first obtaining approval from the emperor, though any interference from the emperor would stop the process.
30.
Bao Zheng is famous for his uncompromising stance against corruption among the government officials at the time.
31.
Bao Zheng upheld justice and refused to yield to higher powers including the Emperor's Father-in-Law, who was appointed as the Grand Tutor and was known as Grand Tutor Pang.
32.
Bao Zheng is depicted to have treated Bao as an enemy.
33.
Bao Zheng managed to remain in favour by cultivating a long-standing friendship with one of Emperor Renzong's uncles, the Eighth Imperial Prince and Prime Minister Wang Yanling.
34.
In many stories Bao Zheng is usually accompanied by his skilled bodyguard Zhan Zhao and personal secretary Gongsun Ce.
35.
Bao Zheng became the subject of literature and modern Chinese TV series in which his adventures and cases are featured.
36.
Stephen Chow made a spin-off movie based on Bao Zheng called Hail the Judge and titled Pale Face Bao Zheng Ting in Chinese.
37.
Bao Zheng briefly appears in the novel Iron Arm, Golden Sabre and sponsors young Zhou Tong's entry into the military as an officer.