Bao Zheng (999—1062), courtesy name Xiren, a native of Hefei, Anhui Province, was a renowned upright official and a politician in the Northern Song Dynasty (960—1227).

In the 5th year of Tiansheng Reign (1027), he passed the highest-level imperial examination and became qualified as a Jinshi. During those years in civil service, Bao consistently demonstrated extreme honesty and uprightness, with actions such as tabling a number of proposals for reforming the national political, economic and military affairs. His name is always connected with the reputation for his integrity, daring to speak straightforwardly, defying power, strict law enforcement and uncompromising stance against corruption among the government officials.

When Bao Zheng served as the prefect of Duanzhou (modern Zhaoqing) in the south, a prefecture famous for its high-quality inkstones, a certain number of which were presented annually to the imperial court, Bao discovered that previous prefects had collected far more inkstones from manufacturers than the required tribute in order to bribe influential ministers with the extras. Bao abolished the practice by telling manufacturers to fill only the required quota. When his tenue was up, Bao left without a single inkstone in his possession.

During his tenue as the magistrate of the capital city of Bian (present-day Kaifeng), Bao initiated several material administrative reforms, thereby bypassing the city clerks who were believed to be corrupt and in the pay of local powerful families. In his lifetime, Bao gained the name “Iron-faced Judge” and it was also said among the public that his smile was “rarer than clear waters in the Yellow River”. Due to his fame and the strength of his reputation, Bao’s name became synonymous with the idealized “honest and upright official”, and quickly became a popular subject of early vernacular drama and literature. The work he left is Bao Zheng’s Memorials to the Throne.

The statue of Bao Zheng at the age of 38, in the Baogong Hometown Cultural Park located in Feidong County, Hefei City. (Photo/Ruan Xuefeng)