The surname Chao ranks 393rd in the "Hundred Surnames" and was outside the top 300 in the national surname ranking in 2007.

Historical Famous People with the Surname Chao

Chao Fu: (dates of birth and death unknown), a famous recluse during the era of Emperor Yao.

He lived in seclusion, building a nest in a tree and avoiding worldly interests. The people of his time called him Chao Fu.

In ancient times, there were many animals and few people. Therefore, Chao Fu taught people to live in nests on trees to protect themselves from wild animals.

It is said that Emperor Yao once offered the throne to Chao Fu, but he refused. Later, the throne was offered to Xu You, and upon learning that Chao Fu had declined it, Xu You also refused.

Chao Kan: (dates of birth and death unknown), from Nancheng, Jiangxi. A famous official of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He served as the Grand Minister (Sikong) during the reign of Emperor Zhang of Han. He compiled the "Han Li", becoming a classic of etiquette. Historians praised him by saying, "Although Cao Biao clearly wrote the Han Li, Chao Kan's words were a great standard for the era," thus leaving his name in history.

Chao Yi: (dates of birth and death unknown), a famous Confucian scholar of the Sui Dynasty. He served as an assistant instructor at the National Academy and was a renowned scholar who wrote works such as "Commentary on the Book of Documents" and "Phonetic Translation of the Book of Documents," earning widespread admiration from later generations.

Chao Yuanfang: (approximately 550–630 AD), from Xihua, Henan. A famous physician of the Sui and Tang Dynasties.

During the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui (605–615 AD), Chao Yuanfang was frequently involved in medical activities and served as the Chief Medical Officer, achieving remarkable accomplishments.

However, there is no biography of Chao Yuanfang in the "Sui History." Only a brief account of him appears in the Tang Dynasty legend "The Record of the Canal Construction," which mentions that in the fifth year of the Daye era (609 AD), the chief manager of the canal construction suffered from wind reversal syndrome. Emperor Yang of Sui ordered the Chief Physician Chao Yuanfang to treat him.

Although the specific details of Chao Yuanfang's life are lost due to lack of historical records, his great contribution to the five-thousand-year civilization of the Chinese nation is immortalized in his meticulous compilation of the monumental work on the causes of diseases, "Treatise on the Causes and Symptoms of Various Diseases." This book is considered the first specialized monograph on etiology and pathology in the world.

Chao Gu: (dates of birth and death unknown), courtesy name Yuanxiu. A famous Jin Dynasty scholar.

After passing the imperial examination, he abandoned his family's traditional studies and turned to studying ancient military strategies. He traveled through Qin, Feng, Jingyuan, and other regions, and after being pardoned, he returned home.

Later, when Su Zhe and Su Shi were exiled to the southern seas, Chao Gu walked to visit them and comforted Su Zhe.

According to Su Zhe's writings: In the early years of Shao Sheng (Song Dynasty), Su Zhe was exiled to Yuzhou, then transferred to Leizhou, and subsequently to Xunzhou. His brother Su Shi was also demoted again to Changhua. Scholars feared associating with the Su brothers, and even their close friends stopped contacting them. Only Chao Gu wrote a passionate letter from Meishan, stating that he would walk all the way to visit the Su brothers. People in the area laughed at his madness.

In the first month of the Yuanshuo era (Song Dynasty), Chao Gu sent a letter from Meizhou to Su Zhe, saying, "I have walked more than ten thousand miles to visit you. I never expected to survive, but now I have reached Meizhou. I will see you within ten days, and I will have no regrets even if I die." Su Zhe, surprised, said, "This man is not of this age; he is from ancient times."

Upon meeting, the two wept, holding hands, and discussed their life experiences for over a month without tiring. At that time, Chao Gu was already seventy-three years old, thin and sickly, no longer the same person as before. He still intended to go to Hainan to visit Su Shi. Su Zhe worried about his old age and illness and tried to dissuade him, saying, "Your intention is already very good, but the journey from here to Dan County is several thousand miles, and crossing the sea is not something an old man can do." Chao Gu replied, "I believe I am not going to die soon. Do not stop me." Su Zhe tried to keep him, but he refused. Seeing that Chao Gu had little money in his bag, and since Su Zhe himself was also poor, he could only raise some money to send him off.

When the boat reached Xinhui, robbers stole Chao Gu's money bag. He was arrested in Xinzhou, where he eventually died. Upon hearing the news, Su Zhe wept bitterly, regretting that he did not listen to his advice, but also deeply admiring his determination to fulfill his wish. At that time, Su Zhe and Chao Gu lived together in a remote southern region. Su Zhe heard that Chao Gu had a son serving in Jingyuan, so he wrote a biography detailing Chao Gu's virtues and arranged for someone to deliver it to his son.

Chao Di Ge: (dates of birth and death unknown), a famous honest man of the Ming Dynasty. When walking, he found a piece of gold and sat waiting all day until the owner returned, then returned it to him.

Chao Mingsheng: (1611–1680), courtesy name Duanning, another name Wufeng, style name Kongdong, Zhizhuan. A famous hermit of the late Ming and early Qing dynasties from Jiaxing, Zhejiang.

He lived in the area of today's suburban Fengqiao Town, Chaojia Nong. At twenty, he studied at the Shi Fo Temple, reading widely and understanding the meanings thoroughly.

He passed the juren examination in the ninth year of Chongzhen (1636). After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, he became a loyalist and lived in seclusion in Chaojia Nong. He built the Yongsi Grass Hall near his mother's tomb and constructed the "Zhi Ge," hence he called himself Zhizhuan.

Chao Mingsheng was a member of the Fusheng Society during the Chongzhen period. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, he was one of the "Three Loyalists of the World" along with Xu Qizhai of Wu Zhong and Shen Shoumin of Xuan Cheng. He was on good terms with Xu Fang of Changzhou, Zhang Lüxiang of Tongxiang, Chen Xun of Haiyan, and they encouraged each other in upholding their integrity.

Chao Mingsheng lived in seclusion for thirty-seven years, never setting foot in the city, and supported himself and his wife Qian by farming and weaving. He planted more than ten types of gourds around his residence, using carved molds to shape them into vessels like zun and yi, creating exquisite items known as "Zaili Goubing," which were highly valued.

After Chao Mingsheng's death, Xu Fang and Zhang Lüxiang privately gave him the posthumous title "Zhengxiao Scholar."

He authored works such as "Yongsi Tang Ji," "Zhusi Wenjin," and "Lao Pu Liangyan."

Chao Ke Huan: (dates of birth and death unknown), a famous official of the Qing Dynasty. He held the position of Minister of Justice.

Modern Famous People with the Surname Chao

Chao Fengjiang: (born in 1924), also known as Chao Feng; from Funing, Jiangsu. A famous editorial reviewer in modern publishing.

He participated in the Anti-Japanese War and Liberation War from June 1942 to 1949. Since 1954, he has been engaged in publishing work.

He long served as Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Vice President, President, and Chief Editor of Shanghai People's Publishing House and Shanghai Dictionary Publishing House. He served as a member of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and a member of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress. Currently, he is the Deputy Director (Deputy Chief Editor) of the "Dictionary of China" Editorial Committee, Honorary President of the Chinese Dictionary Society, Deputy Chairman of the Shanghai Social Sciences Federation, Honorary President of the Shanghai Economic Association, and President of the Shanghai Editors' Association.

He participated in or specifically oversaw the compilation and publication of the 1979, 1989, and 1999 editions of the "Dictionary of China," and oversaw the compilation of the traditional character edition of the "Dictionary of China." He was the main planner, organizer, and deputy editor-in-chief of the "Concise Dictionary of Social Sciences" and "Economic Encyclopedia." He was the specific organizer of the "Comprehensive Study of Mao Thought" and one of the editors-in-chief of the "Comprehensive Dictionary of Mao Thought" and "Comprehensive Dictionary of Deng Xiaoping Theory," as well as the editor-in-chief of "Student Dictionary of China" and "Children's Dictionary of China."

During his tenure at Shanghai People's Publishing House, he received one "Five One Project" Award, two National Book Awards, two National Dictionary Awards, and seventeen Shanghai Excellent Book Awards.

During his tenure at Shanghai Dictionary Publishing House, he received seven National Book Awards, eight National Dictionary Awards, and twenty-six Shanghai Excellent Book Awards.

He has published over forty economic papers and more than one hundred papers on publishing, dictionary studies, and editing, compiling them into "Publishing Essays." He received the Taofen Publishing Award, the title of "Outstanding Publisher of China," and the title of "Expert with Outstanding Contributions" awarded by the State Council.

Chao Jiping: (born in 1932), from Wuxi, Jiangsu. A renowned meteorologist and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

He graduated from the Department of Meteorology at Nanjing University in 1954. He became a researcher at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics in 1978. He was elected as a member of the International Commission on Climate (ICCL/IAMAP) in 1981 and 1983. He served as Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Committee of the State Oceanic Administration and Director of the Center for Ocean Environment Forecasting in 1984. He was elected to the Climate and Ocean Commission (CCCO/IOC, SCOR) in 1986. He was elected an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1995.

His main research work includes cumulus dynamics and long-term numerical weather forecasting, as well as interactions between tropical oceans and atmosphere. In 1962, he proposed a set of basic dynamic equations describing medium- and small-scale weather systems and applied these equations to study the development of convective cumulus clouds.

In 1964, he co-authored the book "Dynamics of Cumulus Clouds" with Zhou Xiaoping. That same year, he proposed a branch solution for pressure jumps formed behind mountains due to airflow over small terrain. In 1977, he proposed a model for forecasting climate anomalies and conducted forecast trials. In 1993, he published a monograph titled "Dynamics of El Niño and Southern Oscillation."

He has published approximately one hundred academic papers. His major works include "Dynamics of Finite Amplitude in the Baroclinic Westerly Belt," "Some Fundamental Issues in the Dynamics of Small-Scale Processes," "Preliminary Study on the Formation of Pressure Jumps Due to Small Terrain," "Physical Basis of a Long-Term Numerical Forecast Method," and "Theory and Methods of Long-Term Numerical Weather Forecasting."

Chao Zhiyu: (born in 1935), from Changzhou, Jiangsu. A renowned expert in high-energy physics.

He graduated from the Department of Technical Physics at Peking University. He worked at the Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, as a researcher. He has since retired.

From 1956 to 1973, he tested the trace components of various materials at the Atomic Energy Research Institute. In 1980, he participated in the development of superconducting magnets at the Fermi Laboratory in the United States. In 1988, he tested synchrotron radiation morphological cameras and semiconductor material defects at the University of Warwick in the UK. He established a synchrotron radiation fluorescence analysis station and a morphological experimental station at the Institute of High Energy Physics. He researched and developed the distribution of trace components in various materials. By utilizing the polarization characteristics of synchrotron radiation, he improved the signal-to-noise ratio by eight times, which was applied in fields such as geology and mining.

He has published approximately fifty academic papers. He has given academic exchanges at the Russian Atomic Energy Institute. He has received national science and technology achievement certificates, the Second Prize of Scientific and Technological Progress of the Ministry of Geology and Mineral Resources, and the Second Prize of the Chinese Association for Analysis and Testing.

Chao Zhi Zhuan: (born in 1939), from Changzhou, Jiangsu. A renowned optical instrument expert and senior engineer.

He graduated from Zhejiang University in 1962. He currently works at the Huzhou Branch of Xin Tian Precision Optics Instrument Company. He participated in the development of two types of submarine periscopes and the design of 35mm and 16mm series movie camera objectives in Shanghai and Beijing. After returning to Xin Tian Precision Optics Instrument Company, he successfully designed the optical system for length measurement devices such as one-meter and three-meter measuring machines, and 1 micrometer and 0.2 micrometer projection optical instruments; optical systems for aerial photography measurement instruments, including the optical system for the national "Seventh Five-Year Plan" key project, the analytical mapping instrument, as well as the optical system for variable focal length stereoscopic reading instruments and radiation line converters; the optical system for the national "Seventh Five-Year Plan" key project, the precision three-coordinate measuring machine; participated in the development of the laser micro-adjustment working machine under the national "Eighth Five-Year Plan" key project, and successfully designed the optical system of the laser micro-adjustment working machine, including a 150–900 times continuously variable magnification television monitoring system, a laser focusing system, and an automatic focusing system; he also designed the optical alignment system for various internal grinding ultra-precision machines, as well as the optical systems for handheld spectrometers, Abbe refractometers, and spectrophotometers. The analytical mapping instrument won the Second Prize of National Scientific and Technological Progress, the three-coordinate measuring machine won the Third Prize of National Scientific and Technological Progress, and the submarine periscope won the National Science and Technology Conference Award.

He has written papers such as "Design of Continuous Deformation Variable Magnification Optical Systems," "Design Methods for Achieving Chromatic Aberration and Superchromatic Aberration in Optical Systems," and "Moiré Fringe Technology," as well as the military history "Submarine Periscope."

Chao Huaping: (born in 1940), from Changzhou, Jiangsu. A renowned petroleum geologist.

He graduated from the Beijing Petroleum Geology School in 1961 and joined the Communist Party of China in 1966.

He has served as a geological technician, Deputy Chief Geologist, Chief Geologist, Deputy Director of Development, Chief Geologist of Daqing Oilfield Administration Bureau, member of the Party Committee, and Deputy Director. He holds the title of Senior Engineer. He currently serves as a director and vice president of Daqing Oilfield Co., Ltd., and concurrently serves as chairman of the Heilongjiang Petroleum Society.

He is a technical expert in oilfield development geology, consistently engaged in technical research and management in oilfield development geology. During the "Sixth Five-Year Plan" period, he proposed the overall concept and supporting technical plan for improving injection-production systems and strengthening layered water injection.

During the end of the "Seventh Five-Year Plan" to the "Eighth Five-Year Plan," Daqing Oilfield entered a new stage of high-water-content production. He creatively proposed and implemented the "Stabilizing Oil Production and Controlling Water in the High-Water-Content Period of Daqing Oilfield System Engineering," personally presiding over and organizing multiple field technological breakthroughs, and responsible for compiling and reviewing the long-term and annual "Stabilizing Oil Production and Controlling Water" plans and implementation strategies for Daqing Oilfield. The "Stabilizing Oil Production and Controlling Water System Engineering in the High-Water-Content Period of Daqing Oilfield" was awarded the Special Prize of National Scientific and Technological Progress.

After the "Eighth Five-Year Plan," the oilfield entered a new phase of combined "water flooding" and "polymer flooding." He proposed that water flooding should be based on deepened fine geological research, continue to develop the "stabilizing oil production and controlling water" technology, and further improve water flooding recovery rates; polymer flooding should focus on regional production replacement, maintain optimal effect and benefit; the development of "low-permeability, low-pressure, low-yield" oilfields in the periphery should involve block selection, simplifying processes and surface flow, reducing costs, and achieving effective development; natural gas production should be made lively and efficient, enhancing comprehensive utilization benefits, realizing "gas supplementing oil," and cultivating it as a new growth point for the oilfield.

He has participated in and led multiple oilfield scientific research projects, among which he has received two Special Prizes of National Scientific and Technological Progress, one Special Prize and one First Prize of the China National Petroleum Corporation, and two Second Prizes.

He has also compiled six technical monographs, including "Technical Measures to Improve Oilfield Development Effectiveness." In 1991, he was approved by the China National Petroleum Corporation as one of the first outstanding scientific and technological experts in the petroleum industry. In 1992, he was approved by the State Council to receive special allowances for outstanding experts.

In 1999, he was awarded the Silver Prize of the "Iron Man Scientific Achievement Award" by the China National Petroleum Corporation.

Chao Zhongzhu: (born in 1954), from Duchang, Jiangxi. A pediatric medicine expert.

He graduated from the Medical Assistant Program at Jiujiang Health School in 1974 and was assigned to the People's Hospital of Duchang County to engage in pediatric clinical work.

In 1980, he studied at the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi Medical College for one year. In 1988, he was appointed as Vice President of the Duchang County Maternal and Child Health Hospital. In 1989, he attended a certificate course in Internal Medicine at Jiujiang Medical College for one year. In 1992, he was appointed as President and Secretary, and was promoted to the rank of Pediatric Chief Physician on an exceptional basis. In December 1996, he was honored by the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China as a national advanced worker in maternal and child health care.

For over twenty years, he has been dedicated to pediatric clinical work, children's health care, and hospital management, following the path of integrating health care with clinical practice. Under the premise of improving social benefits, he focused on increasing economic benefits. The income of the hospital increased from 90,000 yuan annually in 1993 to 1.3 million yuan annually in 1999.

While busy with medical duties, he continued to write. He has written twenty-six academic papers, which have been published in national and provincial medical journals and presented at national and provincial academic conferences. Among them, the representative work "Combining Free Services with Paid Services to Enhance Services and Increase Benefits" was published in "China Maternal and Child Health."

In July 1998, he was appointed as the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the book "Chinese Medical Outlook and Clinical Practice." In December 1999, he was transferred to serve as the President of the Duchang County Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.

Chao Liangchu: (born in 1955), from Yixing, Jiangsu. A renowned architectural arts and crafts designer.

He graduated from the Ceramic Department of the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts in 1981, serving as a ceramic arts and crafts designer at a building ceramics factory and engaging in technical management and creative design work.

Over the past thirty years, he has been engaged in ceramic art work. Since 1981, he has taught at the academy, then was assigned by the academy's party committee to the Jiangsu Farm's Building Ceramics Factory, where he has been working professionally. His large-scale glazed tile mural "Dragon and Phoenix Auspiciousness" won the Excellent New Product Award from the Ministry of Light Industry. The medium-sized tall tower purple clay relief "Double Dragons Playing with a Pearl" in Wuxi Qingshan Park was a permanent commemorative artwork for the 40th anniversary of the liberation of Wuxi. He successfully researched and created a large-scale, 2.7-meter-high square vase, which was selected for exhibition at the National Ceramic Art Exhibition and was awarded the Local Excellent Artwork title. His graduation work from the Central Academy of Arts and Crafts was selected for the cultural and artistic exchange exhibition between China and the Soviet Union held in Moscow. His works have won the Best Work Award in five consecutive local exhibitions, including the sculpture "Supporting Dragon," brick sculpture "Soaring Flight," and Hong Kong commemorative ceramic art "Four Returns Gathering."

For the 1999 Kunming World Horticultural Exposition, he designed a group of glazed decorative architecture for the horticultural buildings and exhibited them at the Kunming World Expo Exhibition Center. For the arrival of the new millennium in 2000, he specially designed a pair of oversized commemorative "2000 Iron Tree" permanent pots, which were displayed at the Jiangsu Farm's Building Ceramics Factory.

Chao Qinhu: (born in 1956), from DanYang, Jiangsu. A renowned orthopedic medicine expert. Member of the Jiangsu Branch of the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, and a chief pharmacist at DanYang Orthopedic Hospital.