The life of Ying Changqi

Ying Changqi (1917.10-1997.8), whose ancestral home is Cicheng Town, Jiangbei District, Ningbo City, is a well-known figure in Taiwan’s financial and industrial circles, an honorary citizen of Ningbo City, and the creator of Ying’s Go point system. He is known as "The Nobel of the black and white world" and "the father of Chinese Go in the 20th century".

On October 23, 1917, Ying Changqi was born into a scholarly family in the Osmanthus Hall of Yuhuang Pavilion in Cicheng Town, Cixi County (now part of Jiangbei District). He was gifted with intelligence and quick thinking since he was a child. He read books by heart and had excellent grades. After graduating from elementary school, he entered Cihu Commercial School. Later, because his family was poor and unable to further his studies, he went to work as an apprentice at Shanghai Tongyuan Bank. In his spare time from work, in order to make up for his lack of academic qualifications, he worked hard to study English, mathematics, graphics, bank accounting and other subjects on his own. He also studied calligraphy and epigraphy under the famous calligrapher Zhao Shuru. In a few years, his knowledge improved greatly. Later, when Fujian Provincial Bank was recruiting three senior staff in Shanghai, Ying Changqi resolutely signed up with the qualification of "equivalent academic qualifications". As a result, he "passed three levels in a row" and stood out from more than a hundred competitors with first place. , was admitted under special circumstances, and this incident became a legend in Shanghai banking circles.

Mr. Ying is patriotic and enthusiastic about serving his hometown. He successively donated money to build Cicheng Changqi Kindergarten, rebuild Cicheng Zhongcheng Primary School and Cihu Middle School; donated money to expand Cicheng Baoli Hospital; donated money to build Ningbo City in Taipei City. Fellowship Hall, City Friendship Center. He invested in the establishment of Ningbo Modern Building Materials Co., Ltd., Lihua Wool Industry Co., Ltd., etc., and made every effort to promote the economic construction and social development of his hometown. When Ying Changqi worked at the Fujian Provincial Bank, the Anti-Japanese War broke out and the southeastern provinces fell one after another. The provincial bank moved with the provincial government to Xiamen, Ganzhou, Hengyang, Guiyang, Chongqing and other places. Ying Changqi also took his son and daughter with him and was ordered to preside over branch work in various places along the way. He successively worked in Nanping, Yong'an, Changting, Ganzhou, Hengyang, Chongqing and other places. At that time, enemy planes were bombing heavily, and the traffic was difficult and difficult. In August 1945, after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Ying Changqi joined the Bank of Taiwan. During the past seventeen years, he served successively as manager of the sales, business and overseas departments of the Bank of Taiwan Head Office, and was later promoted to deputy general manager and acting general manager. During this period, the candidates for the chairman and general manager of the Bank of Taiwan were changed from time to time, but he was the mainstay, presiding over the entire bank's business for a long time, and taking charge of his own role. He can be said to be the real head of Bank of Taiwan. During his tenure, he made many strategic plans and made many innovations. His talents and character were deeply appreciated by successive chairman of the board, and he was also admired by Taiwan's business community.

In early 1963, Ying Changqi officially left the Bank of Taiwan and devoted himself to industry. At the invitation of his friends, he became the chairman of Guohua Marine Enterprise Company. At the same time, he began to prepare for the establishment of his first truly independent enterprise - Lever Wool Industrial Company. In the following decades, he successively took over Yihua Co., Ltd. and Cathay Chemical Company, founded the International Securities Company, and promoted them to the stock market one by one.

Ying Changqi used his unique financial wisdom and courage, and used bold and clear methods to cut through the mess with a sharp knife, and successively helped many privately-owned Zhonghua Woolen Mills, Taiwan Plush Factory, Tongfa Grease Factory, etc. on the verge of bankruptcy. Enterprises have reformed their systems, reorganized themselves, and embarked on a path of rebirth and development. Cathay Chemical, which originally had a monthly output of only about 20 tons, gradually increased its monthly output from more than 60, 100, 200, and 600 tons under the management of Ying Changqi. By the mid-1990s, it had reached a monthly output of 1,500 tons, embarking on a new journey. On the track of rapid development, product quality has also been continuously improved. The purity has increased from the original 70% to more than 90%. Its quality has exceeded international standards, and more than half of the finished products are sold abroad. Ying Changqi organized the International Securities Company and served as the chairman because the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of China admired his reputation in the financial industry and his talents in economic management, so they "identified candidates first and then hired them exclusively." . As Taiwan's first bill financial company, International Bill Co., Ltd. has not only made money and continued to grow and develop during its 10 years of successful operation, but it has also played an important role in stabilizing Taiwan's financial order and promoting Taiwan's economic development. important role.

While establishing a firm foothold in Taiwan's business community, Ying Changqi is also actively expanding its business overseas. Founded Lever Australia Company, which was the first Chinese-owned company in Australia at that time. It was highly valued by the Australian government and wool suppliers. Later, he acquired an old Australian company and named it "Ji Qi", which specialized in Engage in external procurement. Lever Australia Company and Ji Chi Company soon became the protagonists of Taiwan's foreign trade. It now appears that Lever Australia was one of the major companies in the development of Taiwan's trade at that time, and was also the main bridge for Taiwanese businessmen to intervene in Australian trade in the early stages. In 1983, INKO Company (Inko Company) was established in Silicon Valley south of San Francisco, USA. The company was mainly managed by Ying Changqi's son Ying Minghao. It produced a high-tech product called "PELLICLE". Due to its technical content High, the income is good, the company has grown to more than 170 employees, and its customers are all over the world. In addition, Ying Changqi also registered two real estate investment companies in the United States, both of which have achieved good results.

Ying Changqi "learned to play percussion at nearly half a century old", seizing every fleeting opportunity and giving full play to his talents in the 30 years when Taiwan's economy has developed rapidly and world affairs have been unpredictable. Ingenuity and talent created this achievement.

In 1991, due to his old age, Ying Changqi voluntarily resigned from the position of chairman of the company, hoping that the board of directors would recommend a young and capable director to take on this important task. Despite repeated attempts by the directors to stay, Ying Changqi still refused to resign, so he was hired as honorary chairman. He resigned as chairman of two major companies, Cathay Chemical and Lever Wool, for the same reason. From then on, only the six characters "Founder's Office" were written on the door plate of Ying Changqi's office. Mr. Ying Changqi has made great achievements in his career throughout his life, but what makes him known to the world is his indissoluble bond with Go. Since childhood, Ying Changqi has had a keen interest in Go. He learned Go at the age of 6 and signed up to participate in the Cixi County Go Competition at the age of 12 and won the championship. When he was a trainee at Shanghai Tongyuan Bank, although his income was meager, he still did not forget Go and studied it carefully. He also contributed to the Shanghai News. ", suggested holding a news chess competition and setting up a Go column. After reading the letter, the chief writer of the "News" praised the letter and actually opened a Go column, which became a good talk. Even during the eight-year Anti-Japanese War, when his life was full of hardships and displacements, he still carried Go with him. After arriving in Taiwan in 1946, and after his life became stable, he set up a chess room at home, which was known as "Five Windows Filling the Room", and invited relatives and friends to play chess and compete with each other.

Living in Shanghai in his early years, Ying Changqi witnessed that Japanese chess halls had a good system, with complete chess equipment and books, while the chess style in China was declining and no one cared about it. He was deeply moved by the growth and decline of Go between China and Japan, and thus aspired to revitalize Chinese chess and reform Go. In 1952, the Chinese Go Association was restored in Taipei. Ying Chang served as the director-general, and later served as vice president, president and other positions. He devoted money and efforts to popularizing the cause of Go for decades and made great contributions to the development of Go. He established a professional Go system, held a number of news chess matches, and greatly promoted the cause of Go with the help of media power; he devoted 20 years of research and invented the new Go rules of the "point system" to abolish the Japanese chess rules with complete and fair rules. Unreasonable precedents have achieved the goal of "no precedents" and "almost no draws", and are known as "the most reasonable and complete Go rules to date that meet the needs of the times"; the "Yingchangqi Go Education Foundation" was established , *** donated NT$100 million in face value of its company's stocks as a fund for the association to promote and revitalize Go. Now the donation of NT$100 million has increased to NT$800 million; donated NT$130 million to establish "Ying Chang Qi" "Go School" to train young chess players and create more Go teachers; it holds many international competitions such as the "Yingshi Cup" World Professional Go Championship and the "World Youth Go Championship" to vigorously promote Go and is committed to "bringing Go to the world."

On October 23, 1996, on Ying Changqi’s 80th birthday, the Shanghai “Ying Changqi Go Education Foundation” founded by him with a donation of 160 million yuan was officially established, and the Ying Changqi Go School started construction The ceremony was also held in Shanghai at the same time. Mr. Ying Changqi went to Shanghai in person despite being ill and delivered a warm speech at the groundbreaking ceremony. It can be said that "a serious illness has just begun to recover, and a dream has come true."

Of course, among all that Ying Changqi has done, the most commendable thing is the event he initiated, which was described by the mass media as "the most influential, highest-proxy, and most important event in the world so far." International "Yingshi Cup" World Professional Go Championship. (During Ying Changqi's lifetime, this world professional Go tournament was held three times in a row, with the championship prize as high as US$400,000). In August 1988, the first "Yingshi Cup" Go Tournament opened in Beijing. Before and after the opening of the competition, it caused a global sensation. Media around the world paid attention to it, calling it the "Olympics" of the Go world. Ying Changqi himself was hailed as "China's one person" and "the Nobel in the black and white world". Mr. Ying Changqi has been an enthusiastic advocate of Go throughout his life and has never stopped for forty years. Even when he was ill and even before his death, he still remembered his Go competition. He can be said to be a well-deserved "great hero in the Go world". On September 3, 1988, as soon as the preliminary round of the first "Ying's Cup" World Professional Go Championship ended in Beijing, Ying Changqi couldn't wait to return to his hometown of Cicheng after 43 years of absence. Although Ying Changqi, who did not like publicity, returned to his hometown to visit relatives on a private tour, the people in his hometown who received the news in advance still gave him the courtesy he deserved: the local government transferred his birthplace, the old house of Osmanthus Hall in Yuhuang Pavilion, to his hometown. It was repaired; the city and district leaders at that time took the initiative to visit and welcome the old man back to his hometown for the first time.

After visiting his alma mater, Zhongcheng Primary School, Ying Changqi took the initiative and said: "It is impossible to repair old houses like Zhongcheng Primary School, so we can only demolish them and rebuild them." And he kept his word. After returning to Taipei, he sent his fourth brother Ying Changshi to Ningbo to inspect and implement the donation and reconstruction matters.

Three years later, on August 10, 1991, the rebuilt Zhongcheng Primary School, donated by Mr. Ying Changqi with a donation of US$1.4 million, was officially completed. In order to take this opportunity to "educate" his relatives, friends and children around the world, he also hosted a delegation of 74 overseas guests to attend the inauguration ceremony in Ningbo.

It was at this grand celebration that Ying Changqi happily accepted the suggestions from the local government and friends and simply launched a "one-stop" education model project in his hometown...

On August 15, 1994, the "Changqi Kindergarten" built with a donation of 4.5 million yuan from Yingchang was completed. "Advocating chess" means advocating Go. The school was founded with the purpose of carrying forward the quintessence of China and promoting Go education. This also reflects the lofty ideals pursued by Mr. Ying Changqi throughout his life.

On August 27, 1994, the Cihu Middle School project was fully completed with a donation of 13 million yuan from Yingchang. At the same time, he also donated money to build the Taipei Ningbo Association Hall, the Ningbo Friendship Center, and donated money to the Ningbo Charity Federation. Even when he was terminally ill, Mr. Ying Changqi still wanted to fund the establishment of an industrial and commercial university for his hometown.

In addition, he also actively invested and established industries in Ningbo, such as the Modern Building Materials Co., Ltd. project with an investment of 30 million US dollars, which started construction in October 1992 (located in Ningbo Sanguantang) and was completed in August 1993. It was put into production in August 1997. By August 1997, it had introduced five world-class production lines with a total investment of US$40 million. The Lihua (Ningbo) Wool Industry Co., Ltd. project with an investment of US$50 million was originally considered to be built in Pudong, Shanghai. Due to Ningbo's active pursuit and in order to revitalize the economy of his hometown, Ying Changqi finally chose Ningbo. It was signed in August 1992, started construction in October (located in Xiaogang Yaqian, Ningbo), and went into production in March 1993, truly creating a "Ningbo speed". In August 1996, Ying Changqi, who was ill, decided to invest US$25 million in the second phase of the Lihua project. The expansion project started at the end of 1996 and was put into operation in early 1999. Today, the scale and output of Lever (Ningbo) Wool Industry Co., Ltd. are far ahead of Japan, which originally ranked second in Asia. If Lever Taipei and Lever Ningbo are combined, they can rank third in the world. .

After that, Mr. Ying Changqi came up with the intention to rebuild the Baoli Hospital in Cicheng, so he donated another 1.5 million US dollars to build a unique garden-style Baoli Hospital to carry forward the noble medical ethics of the hospital in the past. and excellent hospital atmosphere. On July 17, 1997, the donation ceremony for Cicheng Baoli Hospital was held in Cicheng. But unfortunately, the old man did not make it to the inauguration ceremony of the new Ningbo Baoli Hospital. He died of illness on August 27, 1997 at the age of 81.