Ep. 124 | Sir Y.K. Pao
Today after a month-long break the China History Podcast is back with another episode. This time we look at the life and times of Sir Y.K. Pao. In telling the story of Sir Yue-kong Pao (Bao Yugang in Mandarin) we can also relive the periods in China and Hong Kong during the 1960s, 70’s and into the ’80s.
Through the life of Sir Y.K. Pao, we can also look back on those difficult times between China and Britain that preceded the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in December 1984.
Sir Y.K. lived an amazing but all too brief life and was one of the early Hong Kong Chinese to rush to aid China when Deng Xiaoping emerged and began setting China on the path of reform and opening up to the world.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bao Gong | 包公 | Alternate name of Magistrate Bao |
| Bao Yugang | 包玉刚 | Pao Yue-kong, Sir Y.K. Pao |
| Bao Zhaolong | 包兆龙 | Father of Y.K. Pao |
| Bao Zheng | 包拯 | Magistrate Bao |
| Cao Guangbiao | 曹光彪 | K.P. Chao, another Ningbonese who made a fortune in textiles and co-founded Dragonair |
| Chai Shufan | 柴树藩 | High ranking China government minister |
| Chuang wang | 船王 | The Shipping King |
| Gaige Kaifang | 改革开放 | Reform & opening up to the world |
| Guangdahua Hang | 广大华行 | Kwong Dah Wah Hang, an early China trading company (later part of China Resources 华润) |
| Hua Guofeng | 华国锋 | Mao’s chosen successor and leader until he got respectfully pushed aside by Deng Xiaoping |
| Huang Sue-Ing | 黄秀英 | (Huang Xiuying) Lady Pao, wife of Sir Y.K. |
| Jihua Danlie Shi | 计划单列市 | Special status designated to certain cities giving them special economic treatment from the central government. Besides Ningbo, there are: Shenzhen, Xiamen, Dalian, Chongqing, Qingdao, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Xian, Changchun, Nanjing, Chengdu & Shenyang |
| Jin’an Hao | 金安号 | The Golden Alpha, Y.K. Pao’s first ship |
| Li Ka-Shing | 李嘉诚 | Featured in CHP episode 13 |
| Lu Xuzhang | 卢绪章 | Elder Uncle Lu, Early CCP operative and senior official |
| Mei Lanfang | 梅兰芳 | Famous Peking Opera singer |
| Ningbo Daxue | 宁波大学 | Ningbo University |
| Renzong Emperor | 仁宗帝 | Song Dynasty emperor |
| Shuai ge | 帅哥 | Slang for a good-looking guy |
| Tianyi Ge | 天一阁 | Oldest library in China that’s still around |
| Zhao Kuangyin | 赵匡胤 | Founder of the Song Dynasty |
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