Outstanding Celebrities
Baoding boasts splendid resources and outstanding people.Tang Yao,the ancient sage-king,created a splendid ancient culture here.On the bank of the Yishui River,Jing Ke started his courageous trip to assassinate the King of Qin; In the peach garden,Liu Bei,Guan Yu and Zhang Fei became sworn brothers; Zu Chongzhi worked out amazing operations ...On this land,many heroes in ancient and modern times have shed their blood and sacrificed their lives; many writers and artists have created cultural treasures.
Lin Xiangru (?-?) was born in Quyang of the State of Zhao (presentday Quyang County,Baoding,Hebei Province).He was a famous statesman and diplomat of the State of Zhao in the Warring States Period.In 283 BC,King Zhaoxiang of Qin sent a messenger to King Huiwen of Zhao,saying that he would give up fifteen cities in exchange for the“Heshi Jade”of Zhao.Lin Xiangru was recommended by a minister to King Huiwen as an envoy to carry the“Heshi Jade”to Qin.In the hall of the Qin State,Lin Xiangru held the jade with both hands and presented it to King Zhaoxiang of Qin.King Zhaoxiang took over the jade,watched it admiringly,and then handed it to the concubines,the ministers,military officers and attendants in turn for appreciation,but never mentioned the exchange of the cities for the jade.Lin Xiangru knew that King Zhaoxiang would never actually trade his cities for the jade,so he said that the jade was defective and he would show it to King Zhaoxiang.When he took it back,he said seriously that he would die with the jade,which made King Zhaoxiang’s trick fail.This is the famous story of“Returning the Jade Intact to Zhao”in history.Lin Xiangru was resourceful and eloquent,courageous and had a vision of the general situation,which made him praised by people generation after generation.
Jing Ke (?-227 BC),was a famous assassin in Yizhou (present-day Yixian County,Hebei Province) at the end of the Warring States Period.Being outstanding in talent,wisdom and courage,he was promoted and highly appreciated by Crown Prince Dan of the Yan State to conspire together to assassinate the King of Qin.Jing Ke faced the King of Qin calmly in the hall of the Qin State,but his assistant turned pale and shivered with fear,which led to the failure of the assassination,and Jing Ke died a hero’s death.“The wind blows sadly and the river flows cold.The hero is once gone,he will never return!”Jing Ke knew that whether this task was successful or not,he could not return home alive.However,he still went forward bravely and turned his back on it,showing a heroic spirit of defying violence and daring to fight,a chivalrous spirit of honoring promises and taking on morality,and a tragic feeling of facing death unflinchingly.
Liu Bei (161-223),was borned in Zhuoxian County,Zhuojun Prefecture (present-day Zhuozhou City,Baoding,Hebei Province).He was an outstanding statesman in the Three Kingdoms Period and the founder of the Shu-Han regime.Liu Bei was courteous to others and liked to make friends with heroes and chivalrous men.In 184,the Yellow Scarf Uprising broke out.Liu Bei organized an army,and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei joined him.Later,in order to achieve his great cause,Liu Bei took Guan and Zhang to“visit the cottage three times”and sincerely invited Zhuge Liang,who was only 27 years old,to assist him,which became a turning point in his career.From then on,his team kept growing and developing.In 219,Liu Bei claimed himself King of Hanzhong,establishing a regime co-existing with the regimes of Cao Cao and Sun Quan.Liu Bei’s life was full of crisis and dangerous situations,but he always made a comeback after repeated failures.Stories such as oath in the peach garden,three visits to the cottage and the last words of Liu Bei in Baidi City have been widely spread among the people.Liu Bei’s deeds and spirit have been integrated into the history and culture of the Chinese nation.
Zu Chongzhi (429-500),courtesy name Wenyuan,native place in Qiuxian County in Fanyang Prefecture (present-day Laishui County,Baoding,Hebei Province),was a famous mathematician and astronomer in the Southern and Northern Dynasties.Throughout his life,Zu Chongzhi made great achievements in mathematics,astronomy and calendar,machinery manufacturing and so on.In mathematics,he increased the accuracy of pi from 3.1416 to between 3.1415926 and 3.1415927.He also annotated The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art in detail,and wrote the book Zhui Shu.Zhui Shu has spread to Korea and Japan.To commemorate and commend Zu Chongzhi’s outstanding contribution to science,the Purple Mountain Observatory named an asteroid with international permanent number 1888“Zu Chongzhi Asteroid,”and the International Astronomical Union named a crater on the moon“Zu Chongzhi Crater.”
Guan Hanqing,courtesy name Yizhaisou,was born in Wuren Village,Qizhou (present-day Anguo City,Baoding,Hebei Province).He was a great dramatist and one of the founders of Yuan Zaju (drama of the Yuan Dynasty) in the 13th century in China,enjoying the reputation of“No.1 Dramatist of Yuan,”and was among the“Four Masters of Yuan Qu”together with Bai Pu,Ma Zhiyuan and Zheng Guangzu.Guan Hanqing created a large number of works reflecting social life,condemning the ruling class’s arrogance and disregard for people’s lives,and showing deep sympathy to the fate of the working people and women at the bottom of society.He wrote more than 60 works,more than 10 of which have been handed down,such as An Unjust Charge of Dou E,Meeting the Enemies Alone,Rescued by a Coquette and Wangjiang Pavilion.
Liang Bin (1914-1996),was a native of Lixian County,Baoding,Hebei Province.He was a famous writer,formerly known as Liang Weizhou,with the pen name Liang Bin and Yuhua.He once served as vice chairman of the Hebei Federation of Literary and Art Circles and chairman of the Hebei Branch of the Chinese Writers Association.In 1953,he began to create a multi-volume novel Keep the Red Flag Flying,which was first published in 1957.After its publication,the book aroused strong repercussions and was hailed as an epic work reflecting the revolutionary struggle of Chinese peasants and with a distinct national style and strong local flavor.Subsequently,he published the second book Start the Kindling and the third book The Beacon Fire,and collections of works Records of Writing,Spring Tide and A Novelist’s Self-statement and so on.
Yan Su (1930-2016),a playwright,formerly known as Yan Zhiyang,was a native of Baoding,Hebei.He used to be vice chairman of the China Theatre Association,head of the choreography group of the PLA Air Force Political Department Song and Dance Troupe,and member of the third and fourth boards of directors of the China Theatre Association.His lyrics I Love the Blue Sky of My Motherland and Setting out for Sichuan won the Excellence Award in the Third Chinese PLA Art Show in 1964.The opera Sister Jiang won the Creation Award at the 4th Chinese PLA Art Show in 1977.Opera Recalling My Mother and Peking Opera Red Lanterns,which were created in cooperation with others,won the first prize for Creation at the Art Show for celebrating the 30th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1979.He won the second-class merit once and the third-class merit four times,successively won many major awards,such as the Lifetime Achievement Award of Chinese Opera Art,and won such honorary titles as Model of the Times and National Outstanding Communist Party Member.