▁compr ad ore ▁family ▁the ▁Ch ens ▁are ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Hot ung ▁family . ▁The ▁American - Ch inese ▁scient ist ▁who ▁defect ed ▁to ▁China ▁and ▁helped ▁develop ▁the ▁first ▁atom ▁bomb ▁for ▁China , ▁Dr . ▁Joseph ▁Yu , ▁is ▁a ▁fict ional ized ▁version ▁of ▁ren owned ▁Cal tech ▁scient ist ▁Dr . ▁Q ian ▁X ues en . ▁Sir ▁D unst an ▁Bar re ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁Sir ▁Douglas ▁Cl ague . ▁ ▁A ▁major ▁difference ▁between ▁the ▁original ▁novel ▁and ▁the ▁later ▁min is eries ▁adaptation ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁television ▁version ▁changes ▁the ▁setting ▁from ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁to ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s , ▁and ▁updates ▁visible ▁technology ▁and ▁the ▁general ▁atmosphere ▁accordingly . ▁The ▁lo oming ▁return ▁of ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁to ▁China ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁is ▁frequently ▁mentioned , ▁which ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁major ▁concern ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁ ▁Main ▁characters ▁ ▁Ian ▁Dun ross ▁- ▁t enth ▁t ai - pan ▁of ▁Str uan ' s , ▁who ▁rose ▁to ▁that ▁office ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁and ▁took ▁the ▁company ▁public . ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁this , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁lif el ong ▁Str uan ' s ▁employee , ▁a ▁son ▁and ▁grand son ▁of ▁previous ▁t ai - p ans . ▁ ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II , ▁Dun ross ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁f ighter ▁pilot ▁until ▁being ▁ground ed ▁after ▁being ▁shot ▁down . ▁Dun ross ▁finds