Who Shaped China's Software Revolution? Stories of the Pioneering Programmers

Yan Yanchao

Developed the first Chinese operating system CCDOS, led the creation of the Great Wall 0520CH display card that enabled fast Chinese character rendering, and designed the world’s largest electronic voting system for the Great Hall of the People. He famously said that good programmers must always know their "GO"—the three fundamental statements IF, THEN, ELSE.

Zhu Chongjun

Creator of the Chinese character editing software CCED, which became a commercial success while he was still a graduate student. He emphasized that Chinese programmers must master both coding and business, using version‑based contracts to protect their rights and avoid disputes.

Wang Jiangmin

Antivirus pioneer who founded Jiangmin Technology, achieving over 80% market share in China’s antivirus market. His company later faced funding challenges, was acquired by Zhongguo Gongwang, and he eventually left the industry, marking the end of an era for Chinese anti‑virus development.

Bao Yueqiao

Co‑founder of Lianzhong Games, known for the popular UCDOS game. After rapid growth, the company sought investment, eventually selling a majority stake to Zhongguo Gongwang. Bao later became an angel investor, advocating continuous learning and the ability to adapt existing knowledge to new technologies.

Wang Zhichong

Early leader of Sina.com, responsible for the first practical Windows 3.0 Chinese localization (BDWin 3.0) and the pioneering Chinese platform "Chinese Star". He later founded Four‑Tong Li‑Fang, created the cross‑platform RichWin system, and served as Sina’s president and CEO before departing in 2001 due to board conflicts.

Wu Tao

Founder of Easy Language, a Chinese‑language visual programming environment that allows developers to write code using Chinese keywords such as "如果" instead of "if". He later built a full compiler that generates native CPU instructions, improving performance and promoting Chinese‑centric software development.

Wang Yongmin

Inventor of the Wubi input method, which revolutionized Chinese character entry on computers. He has warned that reliance on pinyin input threatens Chinese literacy, arguing that the practice turns Chinese characters into a secondary “layer” beneath phonetic symbols.

Liao Hengyi

Co‑inventor of the "Chinese Star" platform and founder of JiaSoft, where he leverages .NET to build enterprise management systems comparable to SAP. He stresses that technology should create social value, not just personal profit, and often works side‑by‑side with developers.

Yuan Honggang

Founder of Kingdee, creator of China’s first indigenous EJB server and the integrated financial‑logistics software KINGDEE 2.7, which propelled Kingdee to prominence in the domestic management‑software market.

Qiu Bojun

Founder of Kingsoft WPS, a pioneer of Chinese office software who retired after decades of influence. He is celebrated as a national software hero, symbolizing the spirit of indigenous software development.

The article reflects on how, over the past two decades, the romantic heroism of early Chinese programmers has faded as individuals became mere cogs in a software production line, marking the end of an era of personal‑driven innovation.