Deng Xiaoping had a cordial conversation with Bao Yugang
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="1" > preface</h1>
"It is a good thing that people talk about filial piety, and we Communists should talk about human feelings, not to mention that people have contributed to us..." Deng Xiaoping said immediately after listening to Liao Chengzhi's introduction.
In 1980, Bao Yugang was invited to Beijing to discuss cooperation, and during the talks with the leaders, Bao Yugang again offered to donate 10 million US dollars to Beijing to build a tourist hotel in Beijing. However, it was a simple request, but it overwhelmed the leaders, and no one dared to take over this free hotel.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="65" > the rapid rise of the "World Ship King"</h1>
Bao Yugang was born in a merchant family in the countryside of Ningbo, his father Bao Zhaolong has been doing business in Hankou for many years, although his career is busy, but Bao Zhaolong has never relaxed the education of his children, coupled with the family conditions are still relatively rich, Bao Yugang has received the best education since he was a child. After graduating from Bao Yugang Primary School, he was sent by his father to Shanghai to continue his studies and began to learn ship knowledge at Wusong Merchant Marine College.
Picture 丨 Bao Yugang old photo
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Bao Yugang came from Shanghai to Chongqing, but he did not continue his studies in school according to his father's wishes, but ran to a bank to become a bank clerk. In 1938, Bao Yugang returned to Shanghai and began to work in the insurance department of the Central Trust Bureau, and after 7 years of hard work, Bao Yugang was promoted from a small clerk to a deputy general manager of the Bank of Shanghai.
Just when Bao Yugang was making a big difference in the banking industry, he made a decision that was incomprehensible to everyone and resigned. At the beginning of 1949, Bao Yugang submitted his resignation to Wu Guozhen, the mayor of Shanghai, and with his family and 100,000 yuan savings, he went south to Hong Kong to create another world. When he first arrived in Hong Kong, Bao Yugang and his father did some small business, accumulated some savings, and fell into deep thinking about the future development of his career.
Hong Kong's natural terms of trade attract ships from all over the world, and Bao Yugang is keenly aware that after the Second World War, the world economy began to recover, trade between the world increased, and ships operated as the cheapest mode of transportation, and they will certainly make a lot of differences in the future. Bao Yugang's idea was strongly opposed by his parents, who believed that Hong Kong's shipping industry had developed very maturely, and that Bao Yugang, as a layman, would go bankrupt if he was not careful.
Picture 丨 Bao Yugang and Li Ka-shing
But Bao Yugang made up his mind to break through the shipping industry. On the one hand, he continued to do a good job in the ideological work of his family, and on the other hand, he began to look around about the shipping situation. In order to buy the ship, Bao Yugang personally went to Japan, found a Japanese company to guarantee the loan, and spent 70,000 US dollars to buy an old cargo ship that had been in use for 28 years.
In the second year after Bao Yugang bought the cargo ship, the Suez Canal was suspended due to war, and the global shipping industry entered a golden period of development. In just one year, Bao Yugang used the money earned by a "Jin'an" to buy 7 new cargo ships for himself, and bao Yugang's rapid rise attracted the attention of the global shipping industry.
Under the painstaking management of Bao Yugang, the company's fleet grew rapidly, and by 1978 the company had more than 200 huge ships, with a total tonnage of more than 21 million tons, more than the total tonnage of the Us and Soviet fleets, becoming a veritable "world ship king" in the world.
Pictured by Bao Yugang and Margaret Thatcher
In 1978, Bao Yugang traveled to Beijing to witness the changes that took place in the mainland, when Bao Yugang had foreseen the decline of the international shipping industry and began to consider the direction of enterprise development. It is precisely because of this trip to Beijing that Bao Yugang opened the door to investment in the mainland.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="66" > "I'm going to give him a restaurant."</h1>
Before 1980, there were only 203 hotels in our country that could receive foreign tourists, and the scale was small, poor equipment, and backward management, often resulting in foreign tourists being unable to stay and spend the night in the hall.
In order to solve the shortage of tourist hotels, the State Council took many measures, but still did not solve the fundamental problem, as soon as possible to build a high-end new hotel became the most important task at that time. Limited by the country's financial difficulties, the construction of new tourist hotels became a bottleneck in the development of tourism, and Deng Xiaoping immediately issued instructions to introduce foreign capital to build hotels and build hotels as soon as possible.
Photo: Deng Xiaoping visited Singapore in 1978
Deng Xiaoping's directive to introduce foreign investment became a stimulant for the development of tourism. In 1978, the State Council set up a leading group for the establishment of tourist hotels using overseas Chinese capital and foreign capital, and Lu Xuzhang served as the director of the office. Around the National Day of the same year, Lu Xuzhang invited Bao Yugang to come to the mainland to investigate, and Bao Yugang communicated with Lu Xuzhang by phone before leaving, hoping to meet in Beijing.
At that time, the best foreign-related hotel in Beijing was the Beijing Hotel, which had been booked out several months ago, and in order to arrange a room for Bao Yugang in the Beijing Hotel that matched his identity, Lu Xuzhang, the director of the office, was embarrassed. He informed the secretary that Li Yuying, who often received foreign guests and was familiar with the Beijing Hotel, would come and arrange for her to go to the Beijing Hotel to arrange a suite.
After receiving the task, Li Yuying immediately called the person in charge of the Beijing Hotel, asking them to vacate a suite no matter what, and stressing that this was a political task. Due to the tightness of the room, it was not until the moment when Bao Yugang and his party got off the plane to arrive at the hotel that the Beijing Hotel arranged the room smoothly.
Foreigners from the reform and opening up came to China to travel
Bao Yugang heard as early as Hong Kong that the room in the Beijing Hotel is difficult to book, and when he first arrived at the hotel, he was very happy, when he heard that he only arranged a suite for himself, Bao Yugang made a mistake, and his escort had no way to arrange it. The sympathetic Bao Yugang told the entourage to find another hotel to stay in first, and then find a way.
That night, Bao Yugang's wife, Huang Xiuying, lamented that she had heard that the domestic hotel was nervous, but she did not expect to be nervous to this extent. Bao Yugang advised his wife that the conditions in China are still very difficult, but the development of tourism must solve the problem of hotels, and when he sees Lu Xuzhang, he must urge him to hurry up and build tourist hotels:
"I'm going to give him a hotel, be the director of tourism, it's hard not to have a hotel!"
The next day Bao Yugang came to the General Administration of Tourism as promised, when the State Tourism Administration was working in a very simple house, in order to develop tourism, the number of tourism bureaus increased from more than 100 people to more than 400 people, the staff were several people sharing a table, everyone took turns to sit, even the deputy director was two or three people in an office, although the director had a separate office, but also with the secretary in the same office.
Figure 丨 Lu Xuzhang old photo
At first, Bao Yugang was arranged in the reception room for foreign guests with slightly better conditions, Bao Yugang offered to go to Lu Xuzhang's office to see, and under the leadership of Li Yuying, Bao Yugang crossed a long corridor to Lu Xuzhang's office. On the way, Bao Yugang saw every crowded office, so he curiously asked Li Yuying how it was such an office condition, and Li Yuying explained that there was no way, the conditions were limited.
After coming to Lu Xuzhang's office, Bao Yugang was even more surprised that the director of the bureau still needed to work in the same room as the secretary, and there was no other extra office furniture except for sofas and desks. As soon as he saw The Bread Yugang said to Lu Xuzhang:
"The secretary still works in an office with you?" Your office conditions are too tight. ”
Lu Xuzhang explained that his office conditions were relatively good, and apologized for not arranging Accommodation for Bao Yugang, who did not care about these things and expressed understanding that the country had just begun to develop. During the conversation, Bao Yugang proposed to Lu Xuzhang that he wanted to donate ten million US dollars to the country to build hotels and office buildings, but this money was not an investment, and it did not matter whether it was lost or earned after it was built.
Picture丨The Beijing Hotel in the 1980s
At that time, although Deng Xiaoping proposed the use of overseas Chinese capital to build tourist hotels, some leaders of the central authorities held different views, so Lu Xuzhang, out of careful consideration, did not report Bao Yugang's ideas to the central authorities, until Bao Yugang went to Beijing again to meet with the central leaders, and the matter took a turn for the better.
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="67" > "If anyone disagrees, then I will accept the donation."</h1>
In 1980, Bao Yugang was invited to Beijing to discuss the issue of shipping joint ventures, and after the agreement was signed, Bao Yugang met with Hua Guofeng and several other national leaders. During the talks, Bao Yugang described what he saw and felt during his visit to the mainland, and hoped to contribute to the development of the country's tourism industry:
"My father, Bao Zhaolong, and I are willing to unconditionally donate 10 million US dollars to the General Tourism Administration to build a high-standard tourist hotel and office building, which will be managed and used by the General Tourism Administration after completion, and all the proceeds of the hotel can also be used to develop tourism."
Bao Yugang also said that when the project began, his father and himself would personally come to Beijing to hand over 10 million US dollars to the General Tourism Administration in person and announce the news. Hua Guofeng and several other premiers expressed their gratitude to Bao Yugang for his action of caring for the development of the motherland's interior, and expressed their willingness to accept the donation of 10 million US dollars in person.
Photo: Deng Xiaoping met with Bao Yugang
He didn't care about Fame and Fortune Bao Yugang, but he always had a wish, hoping that when people remembered him in the future, they would be able to think of his father Bao Zhaolong first, so he put forward a small request, that is, he could name the hotel "Zhaolong Hotel". In the environment at that time, naming a merchant was considered by many people to be a monument to a merchant.
Zhuang Yanlin later recalled this tortuous history when he said: Bao Yugang donated ten million US dollars I am very supportive, at that time the shortage of domestic development funds, Mr. Bao's donation is a good thing, he only has two requirements, one is to choose a good address, the other is that the hotel is named after his father, as long as he agrees to these two requests, he will send money.
Although there was a precedent for overseas Chinese to donate money to run industries in many parts of the country at that time, the central government also agreed to accept Bao Yugang's donation, and the General Administration of Tourism repeatedly stressed the importance and historical significance of this donation to national development, but Bao Yugang's donation has never dared to accept it. Because this hotel is given to the state, there is great resistance to the specific operation, Zhuang Yanlin withstood huge pressure, many appeals were fruitless, and liao Chengzhi was found in desperation.
Deng Xiaoping met with Bao Zhaolong and Bao Yugang
After some analysis between the two, Liao Chengzhi felt that his role was limited, so he asked Zhuang Yanlin to write a report, which he would submit to Deng Xiaoping, and then introduce Bao Yugang to Deng Xiaoping in person. After listening to Liao Chengzhi's introduction and reading the report written by Zhuang Yanlin, Deng Xiaoping immediately said:
"People donate 10 million US dollars to build us a tourist hotel free of charge, which is a useful thing for our socialist construction. Ask for the name "ZhaoLong Hotel", why not? It is a good thing that people talk about filial piety and express their deep affection and gratitude to their fathers, and we Communists should talk about human feelings, not to mention that people have contributed to us, and commemoration should be commemorated! ”
Liao Chengzhi was deeply impressed by Deng Xiaoping's words, saying that some people did not agree with this good thing that was sent to the door. Deng Xiaoping said without hesitation: "If someone does not agree, then it is up to me to accept the donation." Subsequently, Deng Xiaoping gave instructions on the preparation of the Zhaolong Hotel and asked the Tourism Bureau to build a hotel for Bao Yugang in the best place in Beijing.
Photo: Deng Xiaoping and Bao Yugang's family
In April 1981, MGTO and Beijing Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Research signed an agreement to transfer 4,200 square meters of dormitory land of the Institute to the MGTO for a fee to build the Zhaolong Hotel, and with the approval of the State Council, the "Zhaolong Hotel Preparatory Office" was specially established, and the competent personnel were selected to be responsible for the preparation of the hotel. After Bao Yugang's two demands were implemented, Zhuang Yanlin immediately contacted Bao Yugang, and Bao Yugang immediately replied after hearing about it:
"Okay, I'll send you the check right away."
On July 6, Deng Xiaoping personally received Bao Yugang in Beijing, during which he handed over to Deng Xiaoping a $10 million check and a $10 million pledge to build the Shanghai Jiaotong University Library. Deng Xiaoping greatly appreciated Bao Yugang's support for national construction, and Bao Yugang introduced his father, Bao Zhaolong, to Deng Xiaoping:
"My father is 86 years old this year, and he is very concerned about the construction of the four modernizations of the motherland, and told me to do my best no matter what."
Deng Xiaoping nodded appreciatively to Bao Zhaolong, expressed his gratitude, and told Bao Zhaolong that there are many things that the country has to do at present, and there are many obstacles, mainly lack of experience. Bao Yugang sighed: "Such a big country, with a population of one billion, has difficulties and is inevitable. ”
Bao Yugang, who had made friends all over the world, immediately told Deng Xiaoping that he had good relations with many leaders of many countries and that if he needed to do it himself, he would leave it to him to do it. Deng Xiaoping immediately stated:
"Please be a staff officer, ships are your specialty, and we ask you for advice."
After the meeting, Deng Xiaoping stopped Zhuang Yanlin and explained that his problem had been solved and that he could grasp it as soon as possible. Many years later, when Zhuang Yanlin thought about this matter, he still had a deep feeling: If it were not for Comrade Xiaoping's decision, the zhaolong hotel would not be able to get down.
According to the regulations of the central authorities, the inscription of the leader needs to be reported to the central government first, and since Deng Xiaoping never mentioned the letter to the hotel, the General Administration of Tourism did not dare to ask for deng Xiaoping's inscription. At that time, Deng Xiaoping's personal guard Zhang Baozhong's daughter and Yuan Zongtang's lover were in the same work unit, and Yuan Zongtang found Zhang Baozhong's daughter, hoping to ask Deng Xiaoping to write a letter to the Zhaolong Hotel through her father.
Photo丨 Deng Xiaoping personally inscribed the zhaolong hotel
Zhang Baozhong found an appropriate opportunity and expressed to Deng Xiaoping the wish of the Zhaolong Hotel Preparatory Office for Deng Xiaoping's inscription, and Deng Xiaoping cheerfully agreed:
"Okay, let them write a report."
The General Administration of Tourism heard that Deng Xiaoping had agreed to the inscription, drafted a report overnight and reported it to the Central Committee, and within a few days Deng Xiaoping personally inscribed the four big characters of "Zhaolong Hotel" and sent it to the General Administration of Tourism, and the Preparatory Office faxed Deng Xiaoping's inscription to Bao Yugang, who was far away in Hong Kong, and Bao Yugang happily said yes:
"With the support of Director Deng, things are much easier to handle."
<h1 class="pgc-h-center-line" data-track="68" deng xiaoping attended the hotel's opening ceremony ></h1>
Under Deng Xiaoping's repeated personal inquiries, the construction of the Zhaolong Hotel was basically completed as scheduled after two years of construction, during which Deng Xiaoping often sent guards to the construction site to supervise the work and reported to Deng Xiaoping in a timely manner. On September 27, 1985, when the Zhaolong Hotel began its soft opening, Yuan Zongtang personally rushed to Hong Kong to report to Bao Yugang on the preparations for the opening ceremony and solicited Bao Yugang's opinion.
Photo丨 Deng Xiaoping and other leaders attended the opening ceremony of the Zhaolong Hotel
While discussing the invitation list for the opening ceremony, Bao Yugang specifically demanded that Deng Xiaoping and Yang Shangkun be present. Since the opening ceremony required many VIPs, Bao Yugang specifically asked Yuan Zongtang:
"Is the slab sturdy?"
In order to arrange the opening ceremony of the Zhaolong Hotel, Bao Yugang arrived in Beijing in advance with more than 20 members of the whole family, when the Zhaolong Hotel was not fully completed, in order to rush the construction period, the staff worked continuously day and night, until the moment before Bao Yugang arrived in Beijing, the red carpet to welcome Bao Yugang was laid.
On the morning of October 25, the opening ceremony of Zhaolong Hotel was officially held, as the supreme leader of the party and the state, Deng Xiaoping attended the only opening ceremony of the hotel, and the host said excitedly in the face of such a grand opening ceremony:
"The opening ceremony of Zhaolong Hotel will be unprecedented in the history of Chinese hotels."
Photo丨 Deng Xiaoping attended the inauguration ceremony of the Zhaolong Hotel
Deng Xiaoping arrived at the hotel fifteen minutes before the opening ceremony and held informal talks with Mr. Bao for several minutes. Deng Xiaoping shook Bao Yugang's hand and said:
"Zhaolong Hotel is built, thank you for your support of the national tourism industry!"
At ten o'clock, the ribbon-cutting ceremony officially began, originally asking Deng Xiaoping to cut the ribbon for the hotel, but Deng Xiaoping said that he would not participate, entrusting Gu Mu and Han Kehua to participate in the ribbon-cutting, and Deng Xiaoping and other leaders attended the ceremony on the rostrum. In his speech at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Han Kehua expressed his admiration and gratitude for Bao Yugang's contributions to national construction.
After the opening ceremony, Bao Yugang accompanied Deng Xiaoping and several other central leaders to visit the interior of the hotel, and for the decoration plan of the presidential suite on the top floor of the Zhaolong Hotel, Bao Yugang personally inquired about the arrangement several times, and Deng Xiaoping greatly appreciated it as soon as he entered the room:
"Yes, that's a lot better than the presidential suite I live in in the United States!"
Exterior view of Zhaolong Hotel
The day of the opening ceremony of the Zhaolong Hotel can be said to be the most exciting day in Bao Yugang's life, because Bao Zhaolong has died when the hotel has not yet been built, it is a pity that he could not see the hotel named after him built, Bao Yugang looked at the Zhaolong Hotel in front of him with tears in his eyes, and remembered his late father again:
"If you know the Spirit of Heaven, I think you will be happy too."