Portland Street Blues
Portland Street Blues is a 1998 Hong Kong film, directed by Yip Wai Man. The film is a spin-off of the Dangerous series of films; this spin-off movie provides a contrast to the other Young and Dangerous films with greater character development. This time, the story's focus is on a female character - Sister 13 of the "Hung Hing" triad. In a triad underworld dominated by men, the film tells the story of how she faces trials and tribulations of rising to become the branch leader of Portland Street; the story shows the reasons. The film gives more details about the "Tung Sing" triad, how the relationship between Sister 13 and Ben Hon develops. Notable absences: Chicken, Dai Tin-Yee, Tai Fei and Chairman Chiang This is one of the few movies in which Ng Man Tat, in many mo lei tau movies, took a more serious role, making this movie an example of his ability to act in other kinds of role. Ng Man-Tat, Sandra Ng and John Ching were in a film together in the movie God of Gamblers III: Back to Shanghai, which starred Stephen Chow.
In the same year, John Ching and Kristy Yang appeared opposite each other in the ATV series My Date with a Vampire. Coincidentally like the movie, Ching's character has an attraction to Yang's character. However, the movie depicted the attraction out of lust while the series depicted the attraction as innocent since Ching's character was depicted as a "mother's boy". Sandra Ng Kwan Yue - Sister Thirteen/Tsui Siu Siu Kristy Yang - Cheung May Yun Alex Fong Chung-Sun - Coke Wan Yeung-ming - Ben Hon Shu Qi - Scarface John Ching - S. O. B. Ekin Cheng - Chan Ho-Nam Ng Man Tat - Tat Ken Lo - Prince Matt Chow Jason Chu - Banana Skin Kam Hing Ying Kwan Hoi-Shan Jerry Lamb - Pou-Pan Lee Siu-kei Ng Chi Hung - Uncle Bee Francis Ng - Ugly Kwan Peter Ngor Jimmy Wong Ga Lok Bobby Yip Henry Yue Young 18th Hong Kong Film Awards Won: Best Actress Won: Best Supporting Actress Nominated: Best Supporting Actress 35th Golden Horse Awards Won: Best Supporting Actress Nominated: Best Actress Portland Street Blues on IMDb
Great Portland Street
Great Portland Street in the West End of London links Oxford Street with Albany Street and the A501 Marylebone Road and Euston Road. The road forms the boundary between Fitzrovia to the Marylebone to the west. Parts of it are in the City of Westminster's Marylebone High West End wards. Long sections of Great Portland Street are in two Westminster City Council conservation areas. Great Portland Street was developed by the Dukes of Portland, who owned most of the eastern half of Marylebone in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was first rated as John Street in 1726. Great Portland Street separates different areas with distinct identities, such as the grandeur of Portland Place and Harley Street, the artistic and independent areas of Fitzrovia; the street has its own unique character, due in part of the unusual combination of small shops combined with its rectilinear character. Different owners and interests influenced the initial development of the area and affected the street layout and character.
Edward Harley – Earl of Oxford and Mortimer, who married Lady Henrietta Cavendish – was responsible for the development of the Portland Estate, which commenced with Cavendish Square in 1717 and grew north and east. Great Portland Street's name is derived from the estate and several other street names in the area are related to the area's ownership, albeit less obviously. Although the land up to Great Titchfield Street was controlled by the Portland Estate, other estates developed nearby land simultaneously; the Berners family who owned land just to the east of Great Portland Street, developed from Wells Street and Rathbone Place in the mid-18th century. At the same time the Middlesex Hospital expanded on land on a 99-year lease around Mortimer Street, encroaching on Riding House and Cleveland Streets; the proximity of unrelated developers with different agendas explains the unusual pattern of street grids centred on Great Portland Street, where several east-west streets terminate or originate.
Great Portland Street runs straight from north to south through the grid of streets. The layout, combined with its width and the concentration of shops along its length, means it has for a long time been a local centre and thoroughfare, connecting the residential areas around Regent's Park with the West End, it has resulted in it becoming a divider, emphasising the contrasting areas to either side. To the east, are artistic areas such as Fitzrovia, which have been less well-to-do than the west, with its grand parade of Portland Place, residential areas for the gentry, doctors and medical institutions on Harley Street. Development of the estate was gradual but so on Great Portland Street; this had an effect during its redevelopment in the late-19th/early-20th centuries when rebuilding was dictated by the expiration of individual 99-year leases, is evident in the buildings in existence today. The most coherent element to the architecture is the predominance of Edwardian buildings to the north and Victorian buildings towards Oxford Street noticeable when there has been occasional consolidation of plots, leading to consistent façades above street level such as in the block between Clipstone and Carburton Streets.
The trend of period groupings is another result of the slowness of the first development. As buildings in the south were built earlier than those in the north, their leases expired earlier, setting off a wave of redevelopment which meant that rebuilding in the south took place in the late-Victorian era, whilst that in the north was delayed until the Edwardian; the Blitz made it necessary for further re-building after the war, although the damage incurred along the street was not extensive so there are few modern buildings, although the aesthetic today is a jumble of architectural styles and eras, the overall feel is that of an historic street. Various area maps from the 18th century onward provide detail to how Great Portland Street has changed over time; the southern end of Great Portland Street has been built as part of the development begun by Edward Harley and Lady Cavendish. With the exception of small villages at Mary Le Bone and Tottenham Court, the rest of the area to the north of Oxford Street is open fields.
To the south, the street patterns which were the inspiration for the new development of formal squares and streets can be seen in places such as Soho Square. The street pattern of the whole area has been laid out exactly as it is today, with the appearance of Marylebone Road providing the northern boundary to the grid. Notable differences are the presence of Foley House where Langham Place is today, Portland Place shown in its original design as a close of grand houses; the line of Great Portland Street has been established but the buildings at the northern end have not been built, a curious gap as the streets parallel have been built up at this stage. One other curiosity in the planning of Great Portland Street, which still remains today, is its abrupt widening just north of Clipstone Street; the impetus for the social pattern of affluence to the west and poverty to the east which has long-defined the area has been established with the houses along Portland Place and west of there being much larger than those to the east.
These houses designed for the gentry have their own individual gardens and mews, whilst the houses along Great Portland Street and the surrounding streets are noticeably smaller and would have accommodated the working classes involved in local trades. Great Portland Street's buildings are still not complete at the northern end, although the rest of the area's present-day street pattern is now in place. Thi
Congee
Congee or conjee is a type of rice porridge or gruel popular in many Asian countries. When eaten as plain rice congee, it is most served with side dishes; when additional ingredients such as meat and flavorings are added while preparing the congee, it is most served as a meal on its own for persons who are ill. Names for congee are as varied as the style of its preparation. Despite its many variations, it is a thick porridge of rice disintegrated after prolonged cooking in water; the word congee comes from a prominent food of ancient Tamil people. The English form may have arrived in the language via Portuguese traders; the food may have its origins attributed to Koozh, a porridge made of millet,that was the staple dish of the ancient Tamil people. In East Asia during ancient times, people named the watery one chi or mi; the characteristics of congee are that it is easy to digest and simple to cook. Congee has thousands of years of history in China; the Book of Zhou says "Emperor Huangdi was first to cook congee with millet", which may be the earliest record of congee.
In other Asian cultures, it is called hsan pyok, kanji, kaṇhji, baw baw, muay, zhōu, cháo, jok or khao tom, kayu, lúgaw, Bubur or kanji, jaulo or jaou, which derives directly from the Chinese character 粥, canja. To prepare the dish, rice is boiled in a large amount of water. Congee can be made in a rice cooker; some rice cookers have a "congee" setting. The type of rice used can be either short- or long-grain, depending on what is available and regional cultural influences. Culture often dictates the way congee is cooked and eaten. In some cultures, congee is eaten as a breakfast food or late supper, it is considered suitable for the sick as a mild digestible food. In Burma, rice congee is called ဆန်ပြုတ် hsan byok "boiled rice", it is thin and plain porridge made with just rice and water, but sometimes with chicken or pork stock and served with a simple garnish of chopped spring onions and crispy fried onions. As in other Asian countries, rice congee is considered food for the unwell. While congee is a staple breakfast dish in China, it is called congee only in Guangdong, is known by other local names such as báizhōu in Central and Northern China.
Chinese congees vary by region. For example, to make Cantonese congee, white rice is boiled in many times its weight of water for a long time until the rice breaks down and becomes a thick, white porridge. Congees made in other regions may use different types of rice with different quantities of water, producing congees of different consistencies. Congee is eaten with zhacai, salted duck eggs and dace paste, bamboo shoots, rousong, pickled tofu, wheat gluten, with other condiments, meat or century eggs. Other seasonings, such as white pepper and soy sauce, may be added. Grilled fish may be mixed in to provide a different texture. Congee is eaten with fried bread sticks known as youtiao. Congee with youtiao is eaten as breakfast in many areas in China. Congee can be left watery, or can be drained so it has a texture similar to Western oatmeal porridge. Congee can be made from brown rice, although this is less common and takes longer to cook. Besides being an everyday meal, congee is considered to be food therapy for the unwell.
Ingredients can be determined by their supposed therapeutic value as well as flavor. The origin of congee is unknown, but from many historical accounts, it was served during times of famine, or when numerous patrons visited the temples, as a way to stretch the rice supply to feed more people. In China, congee has been used to feed young infants. However, the congee is not seasoned with any other flavoring, it is mixed with steamed and deboned fish. Congee made from other grains, such as cornmeal, millet and sorghum, are common in the north of China where rice does not grow as well as other grains suited for a colder climate. Multigrain congee mixes are sold in the health food sections of Chinese supermarkets. Congee with mung beans is eaten with sugar, like red bean congee. A village called Lingshuicun to the West of Beijing celebrates Liu Maoheng, a Qing-era Juren who helped villagers during a period of famine, through the autumn porridge festival; the Autumn porridge festival is eating congee on that day together, the meaning is that the villagers pray for everything to go smoothly and to build a good relationship with the neighborhood.
In Cambodia, បបរ congee in Khmer, is one of the options for breakfast along with Kuy teav noodle soup another popular Cambodian breakfast dish. Bobar is eaten throughout Cambodia from the countryside to the city. Bobar can be eaten plain or with a variety of side dishes and toppings such as soy sauce, added to enhance taste eaten with dried salted fish or chhakhvay. There are two main versions of bobar, plain congee, chicken congee, rice soup; the chicken rice soup, Bobor Sach Mon, is the same as bobar but is filled with more herbs and chicken. Us
Yale romanization of Cantonese
The Yale romanization of Cantonese was developed by Gerard P. Kok for his and Parker Po-fei Huang's textbook Speak Cantonese circulated in looseleaf form in 1952 but published in 1958. Unlike the Yale romanization of Mandarin, it is still used in books and dictionaries for foreign learners of Cantonese, it shares some similarities with Hanyu Pinyin in that unvoiced, unaspirated consonants are represented by letters traditionally used in English and most other European languages to represent voiced sounds. For example, is represented as b in Yale, whereas its aspirated counterpart, is represented as p. Students attending The Chinese University of Hong Kong's New-Asia Yale-in-China Chinese Language Center are taught using Yale romanization. Only the finals m and ng can be used as standalone nasal syllables. Modern Cantonese has up to seven phonemic tones. Cantonese Yale represents these tones using a combination of diacritics and the letter h. Traditional Chinese linguistics treats the tones in syllables ending with a stop consonant as separate "entering tones".
Cantonese Yale follows modern linguistic conventions in treating these the same as the high-flat, mid-flat and low-flat tones, respectively. Sample transcription of one of the 300 Tang Poems by Meng Haoran: Cantonese phonology Jyutping Guangdong Romanization Cantonese Pinyin Sidney Lau romanisation S. L. Wong Barnett–Chao Romanisation Yale romanization of Mandarin Yale romanization of Korean Gwaan, Choi-wa 關彩華. English-Cantonese Dictionary - 英粤字典: Cantonese in Yale Romanization. Chinese University Press. ISBN 962-201-970-6. Matthews, Stephen & Yip, Virginia. Cantonese. A Comprehensive Grammar. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-08945-X. Ng Lam, Sim-yuk & Chik, Hon-man. Chinese-English Dictionary 漢英小字典: Cantonese in Yale Romanization, Mandarin in Pinyin. Chinese University Press. ISBN 962-201-922-6. Comparison chart of Romanization for Cantonese with Yale, S. Lau, Toho and LSHK MDBG free online Chinese-English dictionary Online Chinese Character to Yale Romanization of Cantonese lookup Conversion tool
Mong Kok
Mong Kok is an area in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The Prince Edward area occupies the northern part of Mong Kok. Mong Kok is one of the major shopping areas in Hong Kong; the area is characterised by a mixture of old and new multi-story buildings, with shops and restaurants at street level, commercial or residential units above. Major industries in Mong Kok are retail and entertainment, it has been described and portrayed in films as an area in which triads run bars and massage parlors. With its high population density of 130,000/km2 or 340,000 per square mile, Mong Kok was described as the busiest district in the world by the Guinness World Records; until 1930, the area was called Mong Kok Tsui. The current English name is a transliteration of its older Chinese name 望角, or 芒角, named for its plentiful supply of ferns in the past when it was a coastal region, its present Chinese name "旺角", means "prosperous corner" or "crowded corner." For a period, the area was called Argyle, this name was used for the MTR station when it opened in 1979.
The office building 旺角中心. Mong Kok is part of Yau Tsim Mong District, it was part of the Mong Kok District before the district was merged in 1994. The area belongs to the Kowloon West geographical constituency of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. Displays at the Chinese University of Hong Kong include antique potteries indicating that there might have been settlements in the area as early as the Jin Dynasty; the area used to be a Hakka settlement, with about 200 villagers according to Bao'an records in 1819. The heart of the present-day Mong Kok is along Argyle Street near Sai Yeung Choi Street whilst the proper Mong Kok used to be to the north, near the present-day Mong Kok East Station. Mong Kok was an area of cultivated lands, bounded to the south by Argyle Street, to the west by Coronation Road, to the east by hills. To the southeast of Mong Kok is Ho Man Tin and to the west Tai Kok Tsui. On 10 August 2008 the Cornwall Court fire broke out. More than 200 firefighters were involved in the rescue operation.
Four people died, including two firefighters. Mong Kok received a lot of negative media attention for many acid attacks on Sai Yeung Choi Street from December 2008 through January 2010; the area was the site of protracted demonstrations during the 2014 Hong Kong protests, including the gau wu campaign, was the site of the 2016 Mong Kok civil unrest. Mong Kok preserves its traditional characteristics with an array of markets, small shops, food stalls that have disappeared from other areas during the past several decades of economic developments and urban transformation; as such, a few of these streets in Mong Kok have acquired nicknames reflecting their own characteristics. Some interesting sites are: Tung Choi Street – This market specialises in women's clothing and cosmetics, is open daily from noon to midnight. There are food stalls selling noodles and congee. An open-air market of fruits and vegetables is located in the vicinity. Sai Yeung Choi Street South – A street full of shops selling consumer electronic products and discount books.
The latter are located on the lower floors of buildings. Yuen Po Street Bird Garden – Hundreds of songbirds in exquisitely crafted cages can be seen at this market; the garden is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located near Mong Kok Stadium, to the north of Mong Kok East Station and east of Prince Edward Station. The garden was completed in 1997 for the relocation of booths selling birds at aka. "Bird Street", closed due to urban renewal in June 1998. Fa Yuen Street – This is a small neighbourhood of small retailers selling sports equipment and clothing; the shops stock a diversity of sports shoes, including many shoes of rare or special editions from different places. Flower Market Road – The street and the nearby side streets are packed with florists and street vendors selling flowers and plants. At the end of the street is Yuen Po Street Bird Garden. Goldfish street or Goldfish Market – Centered on a section of Tung Choi Street, north of Bute Street. There are dozens of shops and hawkers selling tropical freshwater and marine fish and accessories.
This market opens early in the morning. Tile Street – This is a section of Portland Street near Argyle Street and Bute Street with more than 50 retailers selling materials for construction or renovation, such as tiles, wall paper, window frames and bath tubs. Photocopy Street – A neighbourhood near Yim Po Fong Street and Soy Street is noted for its remarkable number of photocopying shops due to the number of schools in the vicinity. Portland Street – A red-light district featuring numerous shops and restaurants. Kwong Wa Street, between Dundas Street and Yim Po Fong Street, is famous for shops selling airsoft, RC racing and other hobbying equipment. Dundas Street marks the southern end of the shopping area in eastern Mong Kok, where Sai Yeung Choi Street South, Tung Choi Street and Fa Yuen Street terminate, it is named for Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, former British Home Secretary and Secretary of State for War. Ho King Shopping Centre, Ka Lok Shopping Arcade and Trendy Zone are major shopping centres on the street.
Various kinds of food shops concentrate on this
Triad (organized crime)
A triad is one of many branches of Chinese transnational organized crime syndicates based in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan and in countries with significant Chinese populations, such as the United States, Vietnam, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The Hong Kong triad is distinct from mainland Chinese criminal organizations. In ancient China, the triad was one of three major secret societies, it established branches in Macau, Hong Kong and Chinese communities overseas. After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, all secret societies were destroyed in mainland China in a series of campaigns organized by Mao Zedong. Although organized-crime groups have returned to China after Mao, they are not triad societies. Known as "mainland Chinese criminal organizations", they are of two major types: dark forces and black societies. Two features which distinguish a black society from a dark force are the ability to achieve illegal control over local markets, receiving police protection.
The Hong Kong triad refers to traditional criminal organizations operating in Hong Kong, Macau and south-east Asian countries and regions, while organized-crime groups in mainland China are known as "mainland Chinese criminal groups". Y. K. Chu's The Triads as Business examines the rise of the Hong Kong triad and the role of triad societies in legal and international markets. Peng Wang's The Chinese Mafia studies the origin of Chinese secret societies in ancient China, explores the rise of organized crime in post-Mao China, investigates the ways in which local gangs offer quasi-law enforcement and private protection to local governments and individuals. Wang's book explores how local gangs form mutually-beneficial networks with police officers and how the formation of a political-criminal nexus enables local gangs to control illegal markets and sell protection to citizens and businesses. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, "triad" is a translation of the Chinese term San Ho Hui, referring to the union of heaven and humanity.
Another theory posits that the word "triad" was coined by British authorities in colonial Hong Kong as a reference to the triads' use of triangular imagery. It has been speculated that triad organizations took after, or were part of, revolutionary movements such as the White Lotus, the Taiping and Boxer Rebellions and the Heaven and Earth Society; the generic use of the word "triads" for all Chinese criminal organizations is imprecise. "Triads" are traditional organized-crime groups originating from Hong Kong and Taiwan. Criminal organizations operating in, or originating from, mainland China are "mainland Chinese criminal groups" or "black societies". After years of repression, only some elements of triad groups are involved with illegal activities. Triads in Hong Kong are less involved with "traditional" criminal activity and are becoming associated with white-collar crime. Triad, a China-based criminal organization, secret association or club, was a branch of the secret Hung Society; the society was fragmented, one group became a criminal organization.
After the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, secret societies in mainland China were suppressed in campaigns ordered by Mao Zedong. Most Chinese secret societies, including the triads and some of the remaining Ching Gang, relocated to British-controlled Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and overseas countries and competed with the Tong and other Chinese secret societies. Chinese secret societies turned to drugs and extortion for income; the Heaven and Earth Society, a fraternal organization, was founded during the 1760s. As the society's influence spread throughout China, it branched into several smaller groups with different names; these societies adopted the triangle as their emblem accompanied by decorative images of swords or portraits of Guan Yu. British Hong Kong was intolerant of secret societies, the British considered the triads a criminal threat. Triads were imprisoned under British law. During the 19th century, many such societies were seen as legitimate ways of helping immigrants from China settle into a new country.
Secret societies were banned by the British government in Singapore during the 1890s, reduced in number by successive colonial governors and leaders. Facilitating the origins of Singapore gangs, the opium trade and brothels were banned. Immigrants were encouraged to seek help from a local kongsi instead of turning to secret societies, which contributed to the societies' decline. After World War II, the secret societies saw a resurgence as gangsters took advantage of uncertainty and growing anti-British sentiment; some Chinese communities, such as "new villages" in Kuala Lumpur and Bukit Ho Swee in Singapore, became notorious for gang violence. When the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949 in mainland China, law enforcement became stricter and a government crackdown on criminal organizations forced the triads to migrate to British Hong Kong. An estimated 300,000 triad members lived in Hong Kong during the 1950s. According to the University of Hong Kong, most triad societies were established between 1914 and 1939 and there were once more than 300 in the terri
Nathan Road
Nathan Road is the main thoroughfare in Kowloon, Hong Kong that goes in a south–north direction from Tsim Sha Tsui to Sham Shui Po. It is lined with shops and restaurants and throngs with tourists, was known in the post–World War II years as the Golden Mile, a name, now used, it starts on the southern part of Kowloon at its junction with Salisbury Road, a few metres north of Victoria Harbour, ends at its intersection with Boundary Street in the north. Portions of the Kwun Tong and Tsuen Wan Lines run underneath Nathan Road; the total length of Nathan Road is about 3.6 kilometres. The first section of the road was completed in 1861, it was the first road built in Kowloon, after the land was ceded by the Qing dynasty government to the United Kingdom and made part of the crown colony in 1860. The road was named Robinson Road, after Sir Hercules Robinson, the 5th Governor of Hong Kong. To avoid confusion with the Robinson Road on Hong Kong Island, the name was changed to Nathan Road in 1909, after Sir Matthew Nathan, the 13th Governor who served between 1904 and 1907.
The early Nathan Road was residential, with colonial-style houses with arched verandahs and covered archways. It was home to the Whitfield Barracks, which became Kowloon Park. Saint Andrew's Church, the oldest Anglican church in Kowloon, has been located there since its completion in 1906; the section of the road from Gascoigne Road to Argyle Street was named Coronation Road, in honour of the coronation of King George V in 1911. The road was renamed as part of Nathan Road in 1926, after works joining the road and Nathan Road was completed; the section of Tai Po Road south of Boundary Street was renamed as part of the road. In 1996, the Garley Building fire broke out. In 2008, the Cornwall Court fire broke out, involving more than 200 firefighters, killing 4 people, including 2 fire fighters; the Peninsula Hotel Chungking Mansions iSQUARE Kowloon Park Park Lane Shopper's Boulevard The ONE, at the location of the former Tung Ying Building Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre The Mira Hong Kong Miramar Shopping Centre Former Kowloon British School.
Now houses the Antiquities and Monuments Office St. Andrew's Church Yau Tsim District Police Headquarters and Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station Garley Building Manulife Provident Funds Place Novotel Nathan Road Kowloon Hong Kong Eaton Hotel Hong Kong Kowloon Central Post Office Sino Centre HSBC Building Mongkok Cornwall Court. Site of the 2008 Cornwall Court fire. Five stations of the Mass Transit Railway are built directly underneath Nathan Road; these stations are, from north to south: Prince Edward Station in Mong Kok, at the intersection between Nathan Road and Prince Edward Road West Mong Kok Station in Mong Kok, at the intersection between Nathan Road and Argyle Street Yau Ma Tei Station in Yau Ma Tei, at the intersection between Nathan Road and Waterloo Road Jordan Station in Jordan, at the intersection between Nathan Road and Jordan Road Tsim Sha Tsui Station in Tsim Sha Tsui, at the intersection between Nathan Road and Carnarvon RoadThe road is trafficked by numerous bus routes. Nathan Road, Hong Kong Yau Tsim Mong District List of streets and roads in Hong Kong List of leading shopping streets and districts by city Photo Tour of Nathan Road More pictures of Nathan Road.
Google Maps of Nathan Road
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