Bao Zheng

Bao Zheng
Bao Zheng
Chinese	包拯
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Bāo Zhěng
Wade–Giles	Pao1 Cheng3
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Baau1 Ching2
Jyutping	Baau1 Cing2
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ	Pau Chín
Eastern Min
Fuzhou BUC	Bău Cīng

**Justice Bao** (包青天;pinyin: *Bāo qīngtiān*)
Bao Zheng
Justice Bao (包青天;pinyin: Bāo qīngtiān) Bao Zheng
包拯
Personal details
Born	5 March 999; Shenxian, Hefei, Luzhou, Northern Song dynasty
Died	3 July 1062 (aged 63); Kaifeng（祥符區), Northern Song dynasty
Resting place	Baogong Cemetery, Luyang District, Hefei, Anhui, China; 31°51′27.17″N 117°17′56.39″E / 31.8575472°N 117.2989972°E
Spouses	Lady Zhang (張氏); Lady Dong (董氏);
Domestic partner	Lady Sun (孙氏)
Children	Bao Yi (son), with Lady Dong; 2 daughters, with Lady Dong; Bao Shou (son), with Lady Sun;
Parent	Bao Lingyi (father);
Education	Jinshi
Occupation	Politician & Imperial General Inspector
Known for	Chinese cultural personification of justice
Full name	Surname: Bāo (包); Given name: Zhěng (拯); Courtesy name: Xīrén (希仁); Posthumous name: Xiàosù (孝肅)
Other names	Bao Wenzheng (包文正); Bao Xiren (包希仁); Bao Gong (包公); Bao Qingtian (包青天); Bao Longtu (包龙图); Bao Fu Qiansui (包府千岁); Yanluo Tianzi (阎罗天子); Bao Heizi (包黑子); Bao Heitan (包黑炭);

Bao Zheng (包拯; Bāo Zhěng; 5 March 999 – 3 July 1062), commonly known as Bao Gong (包公; Bāo Gōng; 'Lord Bao'), was a Chinese politician during the reign of Emperor Renzong in China's Song Dynasty. During his twenty-five years in civil service, Bao was known for his honesty and uprightness, with actions such as impeaching an uncle of Emperor Renzong's favourite concubine and punishing powerful families. His appointment from 1057 to 1058 as the prefect of Song's capital Kaifeng, where he initiated a number of changes to better hear the grievances of the people, made him a legendary figure. During his years in office, he gained the honorific title Justice Bao (Chinese: 包青天; pinyin: Bāo qīngtiān) due to his ability to defend peasants and commoners against corruption or injustice. Bao Zheng is depicted as the incarnation of the Astral God of Civil Arts (Wenquxing, 文曲星), while another protagonist — famous Northern Song warrior Di Qing as the Astral God of Military Arts (Wuquxing, 武曲星).^[1]

Bao Zheng today is honored as the cultural symbol of justice in Chinese society. His largely fictionalized gong'an and wuxia stories have appeared in a variety of different literary and dramatic mediums (beginning with The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants), and have enjoyed sustained popularity. In mainstream Chinese mythology, he is often portrayed wearing a judge's zhanjiao futou hat and a crescent moon on his forehead. Some Chinese provinces later deified Judge Bao, equating him to the benevolent war god Guan Gong.

^ Idema, Wilt Lukas (23 December 2009). "Introduction to Judge Bao and the Rule of Law: Eight Ballad-Stories from the Period 1250-1450" (PDF). Social Science Research Network. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

[1] Idema, Wilt Lukas (23 December 2009). "Introduction to Judge Bao and the Rule of Law: Eight Ballad-Stories from the Period 1250-1450" (PDF). Social Science Research Network. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

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