Judge BAO
(AD 999 - AD 1062)

This ancient story of Judge BAO, one of the most well known figures in Chinese history, demonstrates his total commitment to honesty in officialdom. He was known as 'The Clear Sky' and as a very fair and honest official who could not be bribed and who sympathised with the masses. He travelled throughout China at the behest of the Emperor.

In AD 1040, during the Sung Dynasty, Judge BAO had been serving as Governor in Duanzhou City situated in Guangdong Province. When the time came for him to move to his next destination one of his officials accepted a parting gift, on behalf of Judge BAO, from the local officials in appreciation of his work in their city. The gift was a utensil made from special stone used by calligraphers. Before setting out on his journey he hung his old boots on the city gate as a reminder to the next Governor to be honest and upright.next pagenext page