Bao Zheng, commonly known as Bao Gong, 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 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, while another protagonist — famous Northern Song warrior Di Qing as the Astral God of Military Arts.
Tommy Tam Fu-wing, known professionally by his stage name Ti Lung, is a Hong Kong actor, known for his numerous starring roles in a string of Shaw Brothers Studio's films, particularly The Duel, The Blood Brothers, Clans of Intrigue, The Avenging Eagle, The Sentimental Swordsman and its sequel, as well as the classic John Woo film A Better Tomorrow and its sequel.
Zhou Jie is a Chinese actor and singer, best known for his works on two television series as Fu Erkang in the My Fair Princess trilogy and as Yang Kang in The Legend of the Condor Heroes (2003).
Justice Bao, Justice Pao, Judge Bao, Judge Pao, Lord Bao, Lord Pao, Magistrate Bao and Magistrate Pao are all references to Bao Zheng, legendary Song dynasty official and the Chinese symbol of justice.
The Chinese Television System Inc. is a terrestrial television station in Taiwan and was founded in 1971. Recent milestones of the network are in sports events, including having the distinction to offer exclusive coverage of the 2017 Universiade, which was held in Taipei. This included airing the opening and closing ceremonies, plus major games, and it enabled its YouTube channel with several options to watch the rest of the games. Due to recent interest in soccer in Taiwan triggered by the success of its national team, it also bought the rights to broadcast on its free-to-air waves the 2018 FIFA World Cup for all matches from the round of 16 to the end of the tournament, thereby becoming the only channel which offered an event often reserved to cable TV channels.
Sihung Lung, also known as Paul Lung, was a Taiwanese movie and TV actor of Manchu descent. He appeared in over 100 films and TV series throughout his career and was best known for playing paternal roles in films such as Eat Drink Man Woman and The Wedding Banquet. He frequently collaborated with award-winning director Ang Lee.
Louis Fan Siu-wong is a Chinese actor and martial artist. He is best known worldwide for his starring role as Ricky in Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (1991) and as Jin Shanzhao in Ip Man (2008) and Ip Man 2 (2010), as well as roles in numerous television series produced by TVB.
Zhan Zhao (展昭) is a fictional character in the Chinese wuxia classic The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants. Nicknamed the "Southern Hero", he is a righteous knight-errant with incredible martial arts skills, often helping Prefect Bao Zheng uphold justice. Emperor Renzong of Song made him a 4th rank royal guard and gave him the title "Imperial Cat" for his swift movements.
The Tale of Loyal Heroes and Righteous Gallants (忠烈俠義傳), also known by its 1883 reprint title The Three Heroes and Five Gallants (三俠五義), is an 1879 Chinese novel based on storyteller Shi Yukun's oral performances. The novel was later revised by philologist Yu Yue and republished in 1889 under the title The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants (七俠五義), with the story essentially unaltered.
Kenny Ho Kar-king is a Hong Kong actor and singer. He was best known for his role as Zhan Zhao in the Taiwanese and Mainland Chinese television series Justice Bao from 1993 to 2012, and is also known for his roles in Master Ma and Super Hero. Ho is currently a businessman.
Ashton Chen Xiaolong, also known by his stage name Shi Xiaolong, is a Chinese actor and martial artist. He is also credited as Xiaolung, Tommy Sik, Shi Xiao-Lung, Shi Xiao-Long, Shi Shao-Long, Shieh Shiao-Long, Xi Xiao-Long, Sik Siu-Loong, and S. L. Sik on some of his films. He has been a disciple of Shi Yongxin, the current abbot of Shaolin Temple, since he was two years old. Originally named "Chen Xiaolong", Chen was given a dharma name—Shi Xiaolong—by the abbot. He was taught martial arts by his father and Shi Yongxin at a young age. He gained attention in the entertainment industry after his performance at the International Shaolin Kung Fu Festival in Zhengzhou at the age of four. He became a child actor in China and achieved great success in films such as the 1994 martial arts comedy Shaolin Popey II: Messy Temple (新乌龙院). In 2003, he stopped acting and went to study in the United States. In 2005, he returned to China and starred as Zhan Zhao in the television series Young Justice Bao III. In 2007, he continued his studies in the United States and graduated from high school in 2008 from the prestigious Performing Children's School (PCS) in New York City. He has continued his acting career in China since then. In 2010, Chen played one of Ip Man's students in the martial arts film Ip Man 2.
Justice Pao is a 236-episode television series from Taiwan, first airing on Chinese Television System (CTS) from February 1993 to January 1994.
Gong'an or crime-case fiction is a subgenre of Chinese crime fiction involving government magistrates who solve criminal cases. Gong'an fiction first appeared in the colloquial stories of Song dynasty. Gong'an fiction was then developed and become one of the most popular fiction styles in Ming and Qing dynasties. The Judge Dee and Judge Bao stories are the best known examples of the genre.
Justice Bao is a Chinese TV series starring producer Jin Chao-chun as the Song dynasty official Bao Zheng. The series ran for 3 seasons from 2010 to 2012. In addition to Jin, Kenny Ho, Fan Hung-hsuan and Lung Lung again reprise their iconic roles from the 1993 Taiwanese hit Justice Pao and the 2008 Chinese series Justice Bao.
Jin Chao-chun is a Golden Bell Award-winning Taiwanese actor who achieved regional fame in East Asia and Southeast Asia for his portrayal of the ancient Chinese official Bao Zheng in the 1993 TV series Justice Bao. By 2012 he has portrayed Bao Zheng in over 700 episodes of television series produced in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Mainland China and Singapore. In 1997, he financed the construction of "Chao-chun Film Studio" in Qingdao, China to film Bao Zheng-related television drama.
The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants is a 1994 Taiwanese television series produced by Chinese Television System (CTS) a few months after its prequel Justice Pao, which was also produced by Chao Ta-shen. Dozens of actors appeared in both series, but only Sze Yu and Tu Man-sheng reprised their roles. Fan Hung-hsuan and Lung Lung chose to portray new characters rather than their iconic roles.
Return of Judge Bao is a 2000 television series produced by Hong Kong's Asia Television starring Jin Chao-chun as the titular Song dynasty official Bao Zheng. Although a Hong Kong production, it was completely filmed in Qingdao, China and featured mostly actors from Taiwan and mainland China. The series was first shown on Taiwan Television in Taiwan in March 2000, and was not broadcast in Hong Kong until May 2000 when the Cantonese-dubbing was complete.
Michael Huang An is a Taiwanese comedian, singer, television host, and writer, best known for his 1992 hit song "The New Mandarin Ducks and Butterflies Dream", the ending theme of the mega-hit television series Justice Pao (1993), and the album of the same name, which ranks as one of Taiwan's best-selling albums of all time.
Bao Jianfeng is a Chinese actor and singer of Mongolian descent, best known in film for portraying Mao Zedong in The Road of Exploring (2011), Lü Bu in The Assassins (2012) and Chen Shuxiang in The Bloody of Xiangjiang River, and has received critical acclaim for his television work, particularly as Gu Yuetao in The Shining Teenagers (2002), Gaozong of Tang in Lady Wu: The First Empress (2004), Wei Zheng in The Prince of Qin, Li Shimin (2005), Xue Rengui in The Legend of Xue Rengui (2006), Chu Lian in Dreams Link, and King Zhou of Shang in Zhaoge.
Ren Quan is a Chinese actor, investor and businessman. One of his most prominent roles was as Gongsun Ce in Young Justice Bao and its sequel Young Justice Bao II, alongside Zhou Jie, Li Bingbing and Lu Yi. Other notable credits include All the Misfortunes Caused by the Angel and The Nation Under The Foot.
