Baogong Stories
01 · Historical Records
Hefei has long been called “the old territory of the Three Kingdoms and the home town of Bao Zheng”; it has deep historical and cultural deposits and produces outstanding people, and Bao Zheng, the Song dynasty statesman, was born here. Each scenic spot has its corresponding widely spread Bao Gong story, such as The Bao Family's Main Gate Opens to the North, The Honest Spring, the legend of the Fragrant Flower Mound, the lotus of the Bao River having no “private” root, and the legend of the Iron-Faced Crucian Carp; they have a striking local colour, are transmitted from generation to generation without decline, and repose the home folk's respect and love for Bao Zheng. The historical origin of the Bao Gong stories can be traced to the zaju of the Yuan, the huaben of the Ming and the chapter novels of the Qing, and the local gazetteers of Hefei through the ages record them in detail. Since the 1950s Hefei has published several editions of A Collection of Bao Gong Stories.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Bao Gong stories are a form of folk literature current mainly in Hefei city, Anhui. Because of his integrity and honesty, his uprightness and unyieldingness and his diligent government and love of the people, Bao Zheng was reverently called by later generations “Bao Gong” and “Bao Qingtian”. Since ancient times those legends and stories of Bao Gong enforcing the law like a mountain, being iron-faced and selfless, honest and upright, sternly punishing corrupt officials, fearing no powerful men, redressing wrongs for the people and foreseeing things as if divinely have been handed down in the area around Hefei from generation to generation, known to every household and to every woman and child. Some of the classic stories are especially prevalent in Feidong county, Bao Gong's home district, such as Arrow-Shaft Eel and Horse-Hoof Soft-Shelled Turtle and Black Carp, Fragrant Lotus and Lotus Root Without Silk. Hefei still preserves many scenic spots connected with Bao Gong, such as the Bao clan ancestral hall, the Bao family well, Bao Gong's tomb and the Clear Wind Pavilion. Older people of Hefei are all familiar with such sayings as “kin to kin, neighbour to neighbour, Lord Bao guards Hefei city”, “a sister's son with right on his side may beat his uncle” and “the elder sister-in-law is like a mother”, all of which come from the Bao Gong legends. Some of the legends and stories have been adapted by later generations into song texts, novels and plays. Some of the Bao Gong stories come from historical facts, but most come from the people's artistic creation. Through the exaggeration and recombination of the story figures people made Bao Gong's character concrete and vivid. As an artistically worked typical honest official, Bao Gong is a vivid portrayal of history and the people's condition and contains the people's beautiful wish for clear politics and justice.
The Bao Family's Main Gate Opens to the North and The Honest Spring
Bao Gong stories current at the scenic spots of Hefei connected with Bao Gong.
The Legend of the Fragrant Flower Mound and the Lotus of the Bao River Having No “Private” Root
Local-feature legends reposing the home folk's respect and love for Bao Zheng.
Arrow-Shaft Eel and Horse-Hoof Soft-Shelled Turtle, Black Carp, Fragrant Lotus and Lotus Root Without Silk
Classic Bao Gong stories current in the Feidong county area.
Bao Gong Stories in the Schools and Heritage Day Displays
Publicity and display through school readers and integration into the “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day” and other festival activities.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The Bao Gong stories have their central area of circulation in Hefei city, Anhui, most concentrated in Feidong county, Bao Zheng's home district, and the townships around Hefei, and extend within and beyond the province with the spread of song texts, huaben, xiqu and storytelling on the Bao Gong subject. Their transmission is mainly collective and master-to-apprentice, and the tellers are mostly Bao descendants and Hefei folk well versed in local lore.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
For nearly a thousand years the legends and stories about Bao Gong current in the Hefei area have been handed down from generation to generation mainly by collective transmission and master-to-apprentice transmission; besides oral telling they were also spread through sung narration, huaben, xiqu and storytelling, and are scattered as well in various books and periodicals. In recent years a series of school readers, Bao Gong Stories, has been compiled, and the stories in different versions total more than three hundred. The relevant protection unit actively carries out publicity and display activities, integrating the Bao Gong stories into the “Cultural and Natural Heritage Day” and other festival activities, promoting the transmission and dissemination of this item. It has been continually adapted by later generations into song texts, novels and plays, enriching the treasury of Chinese literature and art, and has an enlightening, admonitory and referential effect on real life, with relatively high historical, cultural and social value.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript; it mirrors the bilingual dossier. 阅读中文版，或返回 英文名录。