1.
Chinese name
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Chinese personal names are names used by those from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and the Chinese diaspora overseas. Prior to the 20th century, educated Chinese also utilized a courtesy name or style name called zi by which they were known among those outside of their family and closest friends. From at least the time of the Shang dynasty, the Han Chinese observed a number of naming taboos regulating who may or may not use a given name. In general, using the given name connoted the speakers authority, peers and younger relatives were barred from speaking it. Owing to this, many historical Chinese figures – particularly emperors – used a half-dozen or more different names in different contexts and those possessing names identical to the emperors were frequently forced to change them. Although some terms in the ancient Chinese naming system, such as xìng and míng, are used today, they were used in different. Commoners possessed only a name, and the modern concept of a surname or family name did not yet exist at any level of society.3 billion citizens. In fact, just the top three – Wang, Li, and Zhang – cover more than 20% of the population. This homogeneity results from the majority of Han family names having only one character. Chinese surnames arose from two separate traditions, the xìng and the shì. The original xìng were clans of royalty at the Shang court, the shì did not originate from families, but denoted fiefs, states, and titles granted or recognized by the Shang court. Apart from the Jiang and Yao families, the original xìng have nearly disappeared, xìng is now used to describe the shì surnames which replaced them, while shì is used to refer to maiden names. The enormous modern clans sometimes share ancestral halls with one another, nonetheless, however tenuous these bonds sometimes are, it remains a minor taboo to marry someone with the same family name. In modern mainland China, it is the norm that a woman keeps her name unchanged. A child usually inherits his/her fathers surname, though the law explicitly states that a child may use either parents or the grandparents. It is also possible, though far less common, for a child to both parents surnames. In the older generations, it was common for a married woman to prepend her husbands surname to her own. This practice is now almost extinct in mainland China, though there are a few such as the name change of Gu Kailai, but survives in some Hong Kong, Macau
2.
Chinese surname
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Chinese surnames are used by Han Chinese and Sinicized ethnic groups in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and among overseas Chinese communities. In ancient times two types of surnames existed, namely xing or lineage names, and shi or clan names, Chinese family names are patrilineal, passed from father to children. Women do not normally change their surnames upon marriage, except in places with more Western influences such as Hong Kong, traditionally Chinese surnames have been exogamous. The colloquial expressions laobaixing and bǎixìng are used in Chinese to mean ordinary folks, prior to the Warring States period, only the ruling families and the aristocratic elite had surnames. Historically there was also a difference between clan names or xing and lineages names or shi, Xing were surnames held by the noble clans. They generally are composed of a nü radical which has taken by some as evidence they originated from matriarchal societies based on maternal lineages. Another hypothesis has been proposed by sinologist Léon Vandermeersch upon observation of the evolution of characters in oracular scripture from the Shang dynasty through the Zhou, the female radical seems to appear at the Zhou period next to Shang sinograms indicating an ethnic group or a tribe. This combination seems to designate specifically a female and could mean lady of such or such clan, prior to the Qin Dynasty China was largely a fengjian society. In this way, a nobleman would hold a shi and a xing, after the states of China were unified by Qin Shi Huang in 221 BC, surnames gradually spread to the lower classes and the difference between xing and shi blurred. Many shi surnames survive to the present day, according to Kiang Kang-Hu, there are 18 sources from which Chinese surnames may be derived, while others suggested at least 24. The following are some of the sources, Xing, These were usually reserved for the central lineage of the royal family. Of these xings, only Jiang and Yao have survived in their form to modern days as frequently occurring surnames. Royal decree by the Emperor, such as Kuang, state name, Many nobles and commoners took the name of their state, either to show their continuing allegiance or as a matter of national and ethnic identity. These are some of the most common Chinese surnames, name of a fief or place of origin, Fiefdoms were often granted to collateral branches of the aristocracy and it was natural as part of the process of sub-surnaming for their names to be used. An example is Di, Marquis of Ouyangting, whose descendants took the surname Ouyang, there are some two hundred examples of this identified, often of two-character surnames, but few have survived to the present. Names of an ancestor, Like the previous example, this was also a common origin with close to 500 or 600 examples,200 of which are two-character surnames, often an ancestors courtesy name would be used. For example, Yuan Taotu took the character of his grandfathers courtesy name Boyuan as his surname. Sometimes titles granted to ancestors could also be taken as surnames, seniority within the family, In ancient usage, the characters of meng, zhong, shu and ji were used to denote the first, second, third and fourth eldest sons in a family
3.
Zhang (surname)
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Zhang is the pinyin romanization of the very common Chinese surname written 张 in simplified characters and 張 traditionally. It is spoken in the first tone, Zhāng and it is a surname that exists in many languages and cultures, corresponding to the surname Archer in English for example. 張 was the Chữ Nôm form of the Vietnamese surname Trương, the Hanja of the Korean surname romanized Jang and Chang. It remains the Kanji for the Japanese surname romanized Chō, in Vietnamese, the surname written 章 in Chữ Nôm is clearly distinguished and written as Trang or Chương. As mentioned above, 张 is the surname in mainland China. On Taiwan, 張 is the surname, making up 5. 26% of the population of the Republic of China. 章 was unlisted among the top 100 in either location, among the Chinese diaspora, the name remains common but takes on various romanizations. 張 combines the Chinese characters 弓 and 長 and it originally meant to open up or to spread as an arching bow, but as a common noun in modern use it is a measure word for flat objects such as paper and cloth, like the English sheet of. 章 combines the characters 音 and 十, the traditional origin of the surname 張 is rooted in Chinese legend. The fifth son of the Yellow Emperor, Qing Yangshi, had a son Hui who was inspired by the Heavenly Bow constellation to invent the bow and arrow. Hui was then promoted to First Bow and bestowed the surname 張 and its Middle Chinese pronunciation has been reconstructed as Trjang. The surname 章 originated from the legendary Yan Emperor, whose surname was Jiang. On the establishment of the state of Qi, Jiang Ziya apportioned the land among his many descendants, some of the people of this state took 章 as their surname, particularly after it was annexed by Qi. The Middle Chinese pronunciation of the name was Tsyang, the beginnings of what we now know to be the Zhang surname, tjose whose original surnames at birth are Zhang are also included on this list. Historical figures Zhang Yi, strategist in the Warring States period, Zhang Bao son of Zhang Fei and general of Shu Han Zhang Hong, Official of Sun Quan in the Late Han Dynasty. Zhang Yi, general of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period, Empress Zhang, Empress of Shu Han in the Three Kingdoms period. Zhang He, general of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period, Zhang Liao, general of Cao Wei in the Three Kingdoms period. Zhang Zhao, Minister of Eastern Wu in the Three Kingdoms period, Zhang Cheng, general and Politician of Eastern Wu in the Three Kingdoms period
4.
Beijing
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Beijing is the capital of the Peoples Republic of China and the worlds third most populous city proper. It is also one of the worlds most populous capital cities, the city, located in northern China, is governed as a direct-controlled municipality under the national government with 16 urban, suburban, and rural districts. Beijing is the second largest Chinese city by population after Shanghai and is the nations political, cultural. It is home to the headquarters of most of Chinas largest state-owned companies, and is a hub for the national highway, expressway, railway. The citys history dates back three millennia, as the last of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, Beijing has been the political centre of the country for much of the past eight centuries. Beijing was the largest city in the world by population for much of the second millennium A. D, the city is renowned for its opulent palaces, temples, parks, gardens, tombs, walls and gates. Its art treasures and universities have made it centre of culture, encyclopædia Britannica notes that few cities in the world have served for so long as the political headquarters and cultural centre of an area as immense as China. Siheyuans, the traditional housing style, and hutongs, the narrow alleys between siheyuans, are major tourist attractions and are common in urban Beijing. The city hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics and was chosen to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, many of Beijings 91 universities consistently rank among the best in China, of which Peking University and Tsinghua University are ranked in the top 60 universities in the world. Beijings Zhongguancun area is known as Chinas Silicon Valley and Chinas center of innovation. According to the 2016 InterNations Expat Insider Survey, Beijing ranked first in Asia in the subcategory Personal Finance Index, expats live primarily in urban districts such as Dongcheng and Chaoyang in the east, or in suburban districts such as Shunyi. Over the past 3,000 years, the city of Beijing has had other names. The name Beijing, which means Northern Capital, was applied to the city in 1403 during the Ming Dynasty to distinguish the city from Nanjing, the English spelling is based on the pinyin romanisation of the two characters as they are pronounced in Standard Mandarin. Those dialects preserve the Middle Chinese pronunciation of 京 as kjaeng, the single Chinese character abbreviation for Beijing is 京, which appears on automobile license plates in the city. The official Latin alphabet abbreviation for Beijing is BJ, the earliest traces of human habitation in the Beijing municipality were found in the caves of Dragon Bone Hill near the village of Zhoukoudian in Fangshan District, where Peking Man lived. Homo erectus fossils from the date to 230,000 to 250,000 years ago. Paleolithic Homo sapiens also lived more recently, about 27,000 years ago. Archaeologists have found neolithic settlements throughout the municipality, including in Wangfujing, the first walled city in Beijing was Ji, a city from the 11th to 7th century BC
5.
China
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China, officially the Peoples Republic of China, is a unitary sovereign state in East Asia and the worlds most populous country, with a population of over 1.381 billion. The state is governed by the Communist Party of China and its capital is Beijing, the countrys major urban areas include Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Tianjin and Hong Kong. China is a power and a major regional power within Asia. Chinas landscape is vast and diverse, ranging from forest steppes, the Himalaya, Karakoram, Pamir and Tian Shan mountain ranges separate China from much of South and Central Asia. The Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, the third and sixth longest in the world, respectively, Chinas coastline along the Pacific Ocean is 14,500 kilometers long and is bounded by the Bohai, Yellow, East China and South China seas. China emerged as one of the worlds earliest civilizations in the basin of the Yellow River in the North China Plain. For millennia, Chinas political system was based on hereditary monarchies known as dynasties, in 1912, the Republic of China replaced the last dynasty and ruled the Chinese mainland until 1949, when it was defeated by the communist Peoples Liberation Army in the Chinese Civil War. The Communist Party established the Peoples Republic of China in Beijing on 1 October 1949, both the ROC and PRC continue to claim to be the legitimate government of all China, though the latter has more recognition in the world and controls more territory. China had the largest economy in the world for much of the last two years, during which it has seen cycles of prosperity and decline. Since the introduction of reforms in 1978, China has become one of the worlds fastest-growing major economies. As of 2016, it is the worlds second-largest economy by nominal GDP, China is also the worlds largest exporter and second-largest importer of goods. China is a nuclear weapons state and has the worlds largest standing army. The PRC is a member of the United Nations, as it replaced the ROC as a permanent member of the U. N. Security Council in 1971. China is also a member of numerous formal and informal multilateral organizations, including the WTO, APEC, BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the BCIM, the English name China is first attested in Richard Edens 1555 translation of the 1516 journal of the Portuguese explorer Duarte Barbosa. The demonym, that is, the name for the people, Portuguese China is thought to derive from Persian Chīn, and perhaps ultimately from Sanskrit Cīna. Cīna was first used in early Hindu scripture, including the Mahābhārata, there are, however, other suggestions for the derivation of China. The official name of the state is the Peoples Republic of China. The shorter form is China Zhōngguó, from zhōng and guó and it was then applied to the area around Luoyi during the Eastern Zhou and then to Chinas Central Plain before being used as an occasional synonym for the state under the Qing
6.
Han Chinese
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The Han Chinese, Han people or simply Han are an ethnic group native to East Asia. They constitute approximately 92% of the population of China, 95% of Taiwan, 76% of Singapore, 23% of Malaysia, Han Chinese are the worlds largest ethnic group with over 1.3 billion people. Similarly, the Chinese language also came to be named the Han language ever since, in the Oxford Dictionary, the Han are defined as The dominant ethnic group in China. In the Encyclopedia of the Peoples of Asia and Oceania, the Han are called the dominant population in China, as well as in Taiwan, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the Han are the Chinese peoples especially as distinguished from non-Chinese elements in the population. The name Hanzhong, in turn, was derived from the Han River, which flows through the regions plains. The river, in turn, derives its name from such as Tianhan, Yinhan, Xinghan or Yunhan, all ancient Chinese poetic nicknames for the Milky Way. This gave rise to a commonly used nowadays by overseas Chinese for ethnic identity – Huaren. The term is used in conversation and is also an element in the Cantonese word for Chinatown. The vast majority of Han Chinese – over 1.2 billion of them – live in areas under the jurisdiction of the Peoples Republic of China, where they constitute about 92% of its population. Han Chinese also constitute the majority in both of the administrative regions of the PRC—about 95% and 96% of the population of Hong Kong and Macau. There are over 22 million Han Chinese in Taiwan, they began migrating from the coastal provinces of mainland China to Taiwan during the 13th to 17th century. At first, these migrants chose to settle in locations that bore a resemblance to the areas they had left behind in mainland China, hoklo immigrants from Quanzhou settled in coastal regions, and those from Zhangzhou tended to gather on inland plains, while the Hakka inhabited hilly areas. Clashes between these groups over land, water, and cultural differences led to the relocation of some communities, of about 40 million overseas Chinese worldwide, nearly 30 million live in Southeast Asia. They are collectively called Nanyang Chinese, according to a population genetic study, Singapore is the country with the biggest proportion of Hans in Southeast Asia. Up until the past few decades, overseas Han communities originated predominantly from areas in southern China, christmas Island has a Chinese majority at 70%, large Chinese populations also live in Malaysia and Thailand. Prior to the 1965 split, Malaysia and Singapore used to have the largest overseas Chinese population in the world and this position has since been taken by Thailand. The prehistory of the Han ethnic group is closely intertwined with both records and mythology. Han Chinese trace their ancestry from a confederation of late neolithic/early bronze-age agricultural tribes that lived along the Guanzhong, the Yellow Emperor is traditionally credited to have united with the neighbouring Shennong tribes after defeating their leader, Flame Emperor, at the Battle of Banquan
7.
Central Academy of Drama
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The Central Academy of Drama is a drama school in Beijing, China. It is located on 39 E Mianhua Hutong, Dongcheng Qu, Beijing Shi,100009 The academy was established in April 1950 and it was named by Mao Zedong. It inherited the drama department of Lu Xun Art Academy in Yanan, art school of North China University, many famous Chinese actors, actresses, and directors graduated from the Academy, such as Zhang Ziyi, Jiang Wen, Gong Li. It is regarded as one of the most prestigious schools in China, together with Beijing Film Academy. The Central Academy of Drama is a central subordinate university and it is also an art college directly under the Ministry of Education. It is the highest institution of education in art, the worlds leading art institutions. In Chinese drama, visual arts teaching and research center, the Asian Theater Education Centre is locating there. The Central Academy of Drama has engaged in the practice of drama and it is a world famous higher educational institute of arts, and holds the UNESCO CHAIR ON THEATRE EDUCATION. Note that class year indicates the year, not graduating year. chntheatre. edu. cn/
8.
Actor
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An actor is a person who portrays a character in a performance. Simplistically speaking, the person denominated actor or actress is someone beautiful who plays important characters, the actor performs in the flesh in the traditional medium of the theatre, or in modern mediums such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is ὑποκριτής, literally one who answers, the actors interpretation of their role pertains to the role played, whether based on a real person or fictional character. Interpretation occurs even when the actor is playing themselves, as in forms of experimental performance art, or, more commonly, to act, is to create. Formerly, in societies, only men could become actors. When used for the stage, women played the roles of prepubescent boys. The etymology is a derivation from actor with ess added. However, when referring to more than one performer, of both sexes, actor is preferred as a term for male performers. Actor is also used before the name of a performer as a gender-specific term. Within the profession, the re-adoption of the term dates to the 1950–1960s. As Whoopi Goldberg put it in an interview with the paper, Im an actor – I can play anything. The U. K. performers union Equity has no policy on the use of actor or actress, an Equity spokesperson said that the union does not believe that there is a consensus on the matter and stated that the. subject divides the profession. In 2009, the Los Angeles Times stated that Actress remains the term used in major acting awards given to female recipients. However, player remains in use in the theatre, often incorporated into the name of a group or company, such as the American Players. Also, actors in improvisational theatre may be referred to as players, prior to Thespis act, Grecian stories were only expressed in song, dance, and in third person narrative. In honor of Thespis, actors are commonly called Thespians, the exclusively male actors in the theatre of ancient Greece performed in three types of drama, tragedy, comedy, and the satyr play. Western theatre developed and expanded considerably under the Romans, as the Western Roman Empire fell into decay through the 4th and 5th centuries, the seat of Roman power shifted to Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire. Records show that mime, pantomime, scenes or recitations from tragedies and comedies, dances, from the 5th century, Western Europe was plunged into a period of general disorder
9.
Model (person)
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A model is a person with a role either to promote, display, or advertise commercial products or to serve as a visual aide for people who are creating works of art or to pose for photography. Modelling is considered to be different from other types of public performance, although the difference between modelling and performing is not always clear, appearing in a film or a play is not generally considered to be modelling. Types of modelling include, fashion, glamour, fitness, bikini, fine art, body-part, Models are featured in a variety of media formats including, books, magazines, films, newspapers, internet and TV. Fashion models are featured in films, reality TV shows. Celebrities, including actors, singers, sports personalities and reality TV stars, modelling as a profession was first established in 1853 by Charles Frederick Worth, the father of haute couture, when he asked his wife, Marie Vernet Worth, to model the clothes he designed. The term house model was coined to describe this type of work, eventually, this became common practice for Parisian fashion houses. There were no standard physical measurement requirements for a model, with the development of fashion photography, the modelling profession expanded to photo modelling. Models remained fairly anonymous, and relatively poorly paid, until the late 1950s, one of the first well-known models was Lisa Fonssagrives, who was very popular in the 1930s. Fonssagrives appeared on over 200 Vogue covers, and her name recognition led to the importance of Vogue in shaping the careers of fashion models. In 1946, Ford Models was established by Eileen and Gerard Ford in New York, one of the most popular models during the 1940s was Jinx Falkenburg who was paid $25 per hour, a large sum at the time. During the 1940s and 1950s, Wilhelmina Cooper, Jean Patchett, Dovima, Dorian Leigh, Suzy Parker, Evelyn Tripp, Carmen DellOrefice, dorothea Church was among the first black models in the industry to gain notoriety in Paris. However, these models were unknown outside the fashion community, compared to todays models, the models of the 1950s were more voluptuous. Wilhelmina Coopers measurements were 38-24-36 whereas Chanel Imans measurements are 32-23-33, in the 1960s, the modelling world began to establish modelling agencies. Throughout Europe, secretarial services acted as models agents charging them weekly rates for their messages, for the most part, models were responsible for their own billing. In Germany, agents were not allowed to work for a percentage of a persons earnings, with the exception of a few models travelling to Paris or New York, travelling was relatively unheard of for a model. Most models only worked in one market due to different labor laws governing modelling in various countries, in the 1960s, Italy had many fashion houses and fashion magazines but was in dire need of models. Italian agencies would often coerce models to return to Italy without work visas by withholding their pay and they would also pay their models in cash, which models would have to hide from customs agents. It was not uncommon for models staying in such as La Louisiana in Paris or the Arena in Milan to have their hotel rooms raided by the police looking for their work visas
10.
2046 (film)
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2046 is a 2004 Hong Kong romantic drama film written and directed by Wong Kar-wai. It is a sequel to Kar-wais films Days of Being Wild. The film is the chapter of a shared story that began with Days of Being Wild. There are four story arcs to the film. Three are about the relations of Chow with women that he meets after losing Su Li-zhen, the first concerns Chow and Wang Jing-wen, the second is about Chow and Bai Ling, and the third is about Chow and a different woman who is also named Su Li-zhen. The fourth takes place in Chows mysterious world of 2046 and concerns a Japanese passenger falling in love with a gynoid, typical of Wong Kar-wai films, the arcs are presented in pieces and in non-chronological order. The approximate order of the arcs is listed below and this section is the only part narrated by Chows fictional character and not Chow himself. Set in the far future, a rail network connects the planet. The world is a vast dystopia, and lonely souls all try to reach a place called 2046 in order to recapture lost loves. In the world of 2046 nothing ever changes, so there is never loss or sadness, no one has ever returned from 2046 except the protagonist, a lonely Japanese man named Tak. As the story begins, Tak is on a train ride returning from 2046. As Chow Mo-wans life is revisited, we learn that he is struggling to get over the loss of his idealised love. He returns to Hong Kong after being in Singapore for a number of years to try to forget his anguish, to cover up his pain, he becomes a suave ladies man. Chow attends many lavish parties and beds many women, on Christmas Eve, Chow meets Lulu from the first film whom he remembers from Singapore, although she has no recollection of him. That night, Chow Mo-wan takes Lulu home as she is quite drunk, as he leaves, he notices that her room number is 2046, the same room number that he and Su Li-zhen had when they conducted their private affair. Upon returning a few days later to return the room key, the landlord offers him the adjacent room 2047. Chow later learns that Lulu was stabbed in the room the night before by a jealous boyfriend, Chow agrees to rent room 2047 in the meantime. After the renovation of room 2046 is complete, the landlord asks Chow if he wants to move in, however, by this time he has gotten used to room 2047 and decides to stay there
11.
The Grandmaster (film)
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The Grandmaster is a 2013 Hong Kong-Chinese martial arts drama film based on the life story of the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man. The film was directed and written by Wong Kar-wai and stars Tony Leung as Ip Man and it was released on 8 January 2013 in China. It was the film at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival in February 2013. The film was selected as part of the 2013 Hong Kong International Film Festival, the Weinstein Company acquired the international distribution rights for the film. The film was selected as the Hong Kong entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards, making the January shortlist, the film was nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design at the 86th Academy Awards. The movie begins with Ip Man reflecting on martial arts, and he then concedes that the South should have its own heir. A flurry of discussions and fights erupt as various masters attempt to challenge Gong, as the Southern masters are deliberating on a representative, Gong Yutians daughter Gong Er arrives and she tries to convince her father not to continue the fight, as she feels they are all unworthy. Meanwhile, the Southern masters decide on Ip Man to represent them, however, the fight between Ip and Gong turns out to be actually an exchange of philosophical ideas. Gong declares Ip the winner and returns to northern China, however, Gong Er sets out to regain her familys honour by challenging Ip Man, and they agree that if anything breaks, Ip loses. Kung Fu is about precision, so whoever breaks a piece of furniture during the fight will be the loser, an intense fight breaks out between Ip Man and Gong Er, which concludes with victory for Gong because Ip broke a step at the very end. Ip and Gong then part on friendly terms, with Ip saying he wants a rematch, during the war, Ip Man and his family descend into poverty and he loses his two daughters due to starvation. In the meantime, in northern China, Ma San becomes a hanjian, when Gong Er returns, she confronts her elders for forsaking her father but they tell her that her fathers final wish was for her to be happy and not to seek vengeance. Gong Er refuses to accept that, instead, she vows to never teach, marry or have children, and devotes her entire life for vengeance. Ip Man moves to Hong Kong in the hope of starting a career as an arts teacher. He defeats them soundly and earns a reputation and he meets Gong Er again on Chinese New Years Eve 1950 and asks her for a contest one more time while implying that she should start rebuilding her martial art school. But Gong Er refuses, stating that many martial arts disappeared in the course of history, and that hers would not be the only one. A flashback 10 years earlier shows a confrontation between Gong Er and Ma San at a station on Chinese New Years Eve 1940. However, Gong herself is injured and loses her desire to use martial art
12.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
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Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an internationally co-produced wuxia film. Production funding came from investors in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, directed by Ang Lee and featuring an international cast of Chinese actors, including Chow Yun-fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen, the film was released in 2000. It was based on the novel, of the same name, in the wuxia book series Crane Iron Pentalogy. The martial arts and fighting action sequences were choreographed by Yuen Wo Ping, made on a US$17 million budget, with dialogue in Mandarin, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon became a surprise international success, grossing $213.5 million. It grossed US$128 million in the United States, becoming the highest-grossing foreign-language film in American history and it has won over 40 awards. The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, the film also won four BAFTAs and two Golden Globe Awards, one for Best Foreign Film. Along with its awards success, Crouching Tiger continues to be hailed as one of the greatest and most influential foreign language films in the United States and it has been praised for its martial arts sequences, story, direction, musical score, and cinematography. The film is set in the Qing Dynasty during the 43rd year of the reign of the Qianlong Emperor, Li Mu Bai is an accomplished Wudang swordsman and Yu Shu Lien is a female warrior and professional body guard. The death of Mu Bais closest friend and fiancée to Shu Lien complicate these characters feelings for one another and they are reconnected when Mu Bai, after choosing to relinquish the warrior lifestyle, asks Shu Lien to gift his sword Green Destiny to their friend Sir Te in Beijing. Long ago, Mu Bais master was murdered by Jade Fox, Shu Lien meets with and stays in the compound of Sir Te where she also makes the acquaintance of Jen Yu who is the daughter of a rich and powerful Governor Yu and is about to get married. One evening, a masked thief sneaks into Sir Tes estate, Mu Bai and Shu Lien trace the theft to Governor Yus compound and learn that Jade Fox has been posing as Jens governess for many years. Mu Bai makes the acquaintance of Inspector Tsai, an investigator from the provinces, and his daughter May. Fox challenges the pair and Sir Tes servant Master Bo to a showdown that night, following a protracted battle, the group is on the verge of defeat when Mu Bai arrives and outmaneuvers Fox. Before Mu Bai can kill Fox, the masked thief reappears and partners with Fox to fight, Fox resumes the fight and kills Tsai before fleeing with the thief. After seeing Jen fight Mu Bai, Fox realizes Jen had been studying the Wudang manual and has surpassed her in combative skills. At night, a bandit named Lo breaks into Jens bedroom. A flashback reveals that in the past, when Governor Yu and his family were traveling in the deserts, Lo and his bandits had raided Jens caravan. She chased after him, following him to his desert cave seemingly in a quest to get her comb back, however, the pair soon fell passionately in love
13.
Asian Film Awards
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The Asian Film Awards are presented annually by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society to recognize the excellence of the film professionals in the film industries of Asian cinema. On January 29,2007, Wilfred Wong, the Chairman of Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, the 1st Asian Film Awards occurred on March 20,2007, on the opening night of the 31st Hong Kong International Film Festival in Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. It honoured the best film achievements of the Asian cinema in the year 2006 and it was attended by about 4000 guests from around the world. The AFA Presentation Ceremony takes place as part of the Entertainment Expo Hong Kong Opening Gala, throughout its history and since its inauguration in 2007, Chinese-language films from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, and South Korean films have dominated the top awards. Films from Japan, Iran and Thailand have also won on occasion and this lack of diversity has been criticized. At the same event the AFA trophy, designed by award-winning production designer, according to William Chang, his inspiration behind the artwork was his admiration to a combination of architectural drawings and his own collection of antique statues. Measuring 36 cm, the trophy symbolises the joy and the accomplishment of all the award winners, the current trophy is gold as a whole but had changed significantly before. The first trophies that were handed in 2007 has its trophy in black with a white base, in the 2nd AFA, the current gold colour was used as whole but in 2009 for its 3rd AFA instead of a gold base, it has a black base. Then in 2010, the gold trophy had returned and now used nowadays. To be eligible, films must be feature length, be in 35mm or 70mm film format or digital format suitable for exhibition in cinemas and this encompasses all the cinemas of Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia and West Asia. Additionally, the films must have English subtitles, each Official Submission Organisation can submit up to three films to represent their territory. The Asian Film Awards Jury is composed of professionals from around the world. Each Jury Member can recommend up to two nominations in each Category. The Society chooses the special awards to be given for a certain year and their first and original names are used in this list. Hong Kong International Film Festival Official website Asian Film Awards at IMDB 6th Asian Film Awards Rules and Regulations
14.
House of Flying Daggers
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House of Flying Daggers is a 2004 wuxia romance film directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Andy Lau, Zhang Ziyi and Takeshi Kaneshiro. Unlike other wuxia films, it is more of a story than purely a martial arts film. The film opened in limited release within the United States on 3 December 2004, in New York City and Los Angeles and its members steal from the rich and give to the poor, gaining the support of the locals. To accomplish this, Leo arrests Mei, a dancer who is suspected of being the previous leaders daughter. Jin proceeds to assault the jail and set Mei free, pretending that he is a rebel sympathizer, as Mei and Jin travel to the Flying Dagger headquarters, Leo trails behind with reinforcements. Unfortunately, Mei and Jin fall in love, to make the deception more realistic, Leo and his men pretend to ambush the pair. Later, though, they are ambushed for real by a different group, at a secret meeting, Leo explains that the military has gotten involved and wants Jin and Mei dead. A few days later, Jin and Mei are ambushed again, at this point, it is revealed that Mei isnt really blind, and furthermore, that she is engaged to Leo, who has secretly been a Flying Dagger member. The Flying Daggers are not afraid of the military, but rather, Mei, however, cannot bring herself to love Leo, since she now loves Jin. Leo tries to rape Mei but Meis superior throws a dagger into Leos back, shortly after, Mei is told to execute Jin for being a police officer. She frees him instead, but refuses to desert the House so that she could join him, half an hour later, Mei suddenly changes her mind and rides after Jin, but is ambushed by Leo, who casts two daggers at her. Mei tosses her sword, managing to deflect one of them while the other pierces her breast, meanwhile, the House gets assaulted by the military. Finally, Leo pulls the dagger out of his back and threatens to throw it at Jin. Mei threatens to pull the dagger out of her breast and throw it at Leo, which would cause her to die from blood loss, after waiting for several tense moments, Leo, feeling suicidal, decides to pretend to throw his dagger and be killed. To his great surprise, Mei attempts to use her own dagger to intercept Leos dagger in flight, the result of all this is that neither Leo nor Jin die, but only Mei. In the end, Leo stumbles away in guilt while Jin cries over Meis dead body, singing a song praising her as a rare beauty, the question of whether the House won against the military is left ambiguous. Andy Lau — Captain Leo Zhang Ziyi — Mei Takeshi Kaneshiro — Captain Jin Song Dandan — Yee Anita Mui was originally cast for a major role and she died of cervical cancer before any of her scenes were filmed. After her death on 30 December 2003, director Zhang Yimou decided to alter the script rather than find a replacement, the film is dedicated to her memory
15.
Forever Enthralled
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Forever Enthralled is a Chinese biographical film directed by Chen Kaige, the film marks Chens eleventh feature film as a director. Forever Enthralled follows the life of Mei Lanfang, one of Chinas premiere opera performers and it stars Leon Lai as Mei, Zhang Ziyi, Sun Honglei and Masanobu Ando. Known during production as Mei Lanfang, the films English title was changed in November 2008, shortly before its release, the film was shown in competition at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival for the Golden Bear award. Unlike Chens previous film, The Promise, Chen is not re-teaming with his producers, Etchie Stroh. Just prior to the release in December 2008, Forever Enthralled producer. Milimeter claimed that it held the copyright to the film based on a contract signed between the two companies in 2004. In an interview with Newsweek, director Chen Kaige stated that in contrast with his previous film about Beijing opera, before Lai was tapped to play the famous opera singer, Chen Kaige reportedly also considered Taiwanese star Leehom Wang. Lai, along with Zhang Ziyi, underwent training with veteran Peking Opera singers to ready themselves for their roles, Zhang Ziyi as Meng Xiaodong, Mei Lanfangs lover. Wang Xueqi as Tan Xinpei, an opera singer. Sun Honglei as Qi Rushan Chen Hong as Fu Zhifang as Mei Lanfangs wife, Masanobu Ando, Japanese actor Ando joined the cast along with Gillian Chung and Chen Hong. Actor Kimura Takuya was also considered for the role as an opera-obsessed Japanese army officer, Tanaka Ryuichi, after she completed her scenes, Chung faced some controversy as a result of her involvement in the Edison Chen photo scandal. The decision to keep Chung was reportedly met with disapproval by Mei Lanfangs family, the film made its international premiere in competition at the 59th Berlin International Film Festival, where critics called it a sumptuous film. The review writes the films art direction as superb and states from splendidly lit interiors to authentic costumes and accessories, evoking the theater culture, however, Variety on the other hand states the film is a largely workmanlike biopic that is only occasionally engaging. Variety describes the films supporting performances are strong and more so than the leading performances, the review did however gave praise to the films production design, costume and cinematography. Official website Forever Enthralled at the Internet Movie Database Forever Enthralled at AllMovie
16.
Jasmine Women
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Jasmine Women is a 2004 film, adapted from Su Tongs novel called Funü Shenghuo which means Womens Lives. It is directed by Hou Yong, formerly a well known cinematographer, Zhang Ziyi plays the youngest of three generations of women who lead lives in Shanghai. Joan Chen plays the great-grandmother, grandmother, and mother, the film recounts this family, the mistakes they make, and a cycle that the granddaughter breaks out of. The film was received by critics and was praised for its use of color. The Chinese name of the movie, Mo li hua kai, is based on a popular Chinese song Mo Li Hua, the names of the characters in the movie are also based on this song. The film is divided into three chapters, grandmother, mother, and daughter, respectively the story of Mo, Li, eighteen-year-old Mo lives with her mother who owns a small photo shop in Shanghai. She longs to become a star, a dream her mother does not understand. One day, Mo meets Mr. Meng, the boss of a movie studio and she then leaves her mother to fulfil her film career dream. She enters a relationship with Mr. Meng who is married and she refuses to have an abortion and when the Second Sino-Japanese War begins, Meng leaves Shanghai and abandons Mo. The movie studio is shut down and Mo returns home and she gives birth to Li and blames her child for everything she has lost. Her mothers boyfriend also tries to seduce her, using the guise of a hair appointment. Her mother finds out, and commits suicide not long after, Li had grown up with her mother Mo in misery. Mo still remembers her dream of being a movie star, Li marries Zou Jie who was a member of her high schools chapter of the Communist Youth League of China. After marriage, they move into Jies home but unused to their lifestyle and unable to bear a child of her own, lis situation gets steadily worse and she even accuses Zou for violating Hua, her adopted daughter. Li’s family collapses and her husband Zou commits suicide by throwing himself at an oncoming train, when Hua grew up she married a college graduate, Du. After marriage, Du went for further studies overseas in Japan and after that, unfortunately, Hua was already carrying Du’s child. Mo strongly encouraged her to abort the baby because of her experiences with having a child and being unprepared for it, Hua decided to check into a family planning clinic/hospital to have an abortion in any case, but before she could arrive home, Mo died. Years later, Du returns to Hua to finalise things, closing scenes show her moving into a new home with her daughter
17.
Hundred Flowers Awards
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The Peoples Hundred Flower Award or Hundred Flowers Awards, the equivalent of Chinas Golden Globes, are considered, together with the Golden Rooster Awards, the most prestigious film awards in China. The awards were inaugurated by China Film Association in 1962 and sponsored by Popular Cinema magazine, the awards were formerly voted by the readers of Popular Cinema annually. Recent polls allow voters to cast ballots through SMS, the Internet or by phone call, voting is now no longer confined to readers of Popular Cinema. Award recipients receive a statuette in the shape of a goddess of Flowers, the 2nd Hundred Flowers Awards poll was held in 1963, but the poll was not conducted again until 1980, owing to the Cultural Revolution. It became an event from 1980 until 2004. Since 2004, the Hundred Flowers Awards ceremonies are held biennially, in 1992, the Golden Rooster and the Hundred Flowers Awards were combined into a single national festival. From 1980 to 2004, the yearly Hundred Flowers poll selects three films with the highest tallied votes as the Best Pictures of the year, since 2006, Chinese-language films from Taiwan and Hong Kong are also eligible for awards. Note also that since 2006, films in the past two years are eligible, the film with the highest number of votes is chosen as best picture, with two runners-up. Since 2006, China Film Association improves the ballot rules, the second ballot will have the public selecting the five nominations in each category by internet, mobile network, magazine votes and SMS. Each nominee will receive a Hundred Flowers Awards Nomination Certificate, the last ballot, a China official notary will randomly select 101 audience members, who voted in the second round and give a dedicated screening for all nominated pictures. Eventually, the 101 audience members will have a secret ballot and subsequently announce the winners
18.
The Road Home (1999 film)
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The Road Home is a 2000 Chinese romantic drama film directed by Zhang Yimou. It also marked the debut of the Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi. The Road Home was written by author Bao Shi, who adapted the screenplay from his novel, the film was shot immediately after Zhangs previous film, Not One Less, and was released to strong reviews in China in fall 1999. The Road Home is the story of a girl and a young teacher falling in love. The film begins in black and white in present-day China when the son returns to his village from the city upon hearing of his fathers death. His mother, Zhao Di, insists upon following the tradition of carrying the coffin back to their village by foot so that her husbands spirit will remember its way home. As the narrator, the son recounts the story of his parents courtship and it is here the bleak black and white turns into vivid colors as the story shifts to the past. His father, Luo Changyu, came to the village as the teacher, immediately, Zhao Di became infatuated with him and he with her. Thus began a courtship which consisted mostly of the exchange of looks, unfortunately, the courtship was interrupted when Luo was summoned by the government to return to the city. Zhao Dis heart was broken, she insisted on waiting for him in the snow, however, upon hearing news of her illness, the teacher was able to sneak back to the village and Zhao Di, in tears, welcomed the sight of her beloved. Still, their love would not be consummated for a few years more because the teacher was away from the village as punishment for having left his assignment in the city without permission. He is told by the mayor of the village that it might be difficult to find enough porters to carry the father home, the mayor and the son reach an agreement on the price to be paid to the porters. But when the sets out, more than 100 people show up to help carry home the casket of the man who was their teacher through various generations in the village. The mayor returns the money to the son, as no one will accept payment for doing what they consider to be a rather than a task. Zhang Ziyi as the young Zhao Di, the protagonist in the segment of the film. Zhao Yulian as the old Zhao Di, in the beginning and ending segments, zheng Hao as Luo Changyu, a young teacher sent from the city, Zhao Dis husband and the narrators father. Sun Honglei as Luo Yusheng, Zhao Di and Luo Changyus grown son and the films narrator, li Bin as Grandmother, Zhao Dis elderly mother and the narrators grandmother. The film won two awards at the 2000 Berlin International Film Festival, the Jury Grand Prix and Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, the film received positive reviews, achieving a score of 89% on the film website Rotten Tomatoes
19.
Chinese language
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Chinese is a group of related, but in many cases mutually unintelligible, language varieties, forming a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. Chinese is spoken by the Han majority and many ethnic groups in China. Nearly 1.2 billion people speak some form of Chinese as their first language, the varieties of Chinese are usually described by native speakers as dialects of a single Chinese language, but linguists note that they are as diverse as a language family. The internal diversity of Chinese has been likened to that of the Romance languages, There are between 7 and 13 main regional groups of Chinese, of which the most spoken by far is Mandarin, followed by Wu, Min, and Yue. Most of these groups are mutually unintelligible, although some, like Xiang and certain Southwest Mandarin dialects, may share common terms, all varieties of Chinese are tonal and analytic. Standard Chinese is a form of spoken Chinese based on the Beijing dialect of Mandarin. It is the language of China and Taiwan, as well as one of four official languages of Singapore. It is one of the six languages of the United Nations. The written form of the language, based on the logograms known as Chinese characters, is shared by literate speakers of otherwise unintelligible dialects. Of the other varieties of Chinese, Cantonese is the spoken language and official in Hong Kong and Macau. It is also influential in Guangdong province and much of Guangxi, dialects of Southern Min, part of the Min group, are widely spoken in southern Fujian, with notable variants also spoken in neighboring Taiwan and in Southeast Asia. Hakka also has a diaspora in Taiwan and southeast Asia. Shanghainese and other Wu varieties are prominent in the lower Yangtze region of eastern China, Chinese can be traced back to a hypothetical Sino-Tibetan proto-language. The first written records appeared over 3,000 years ago during the Shang dynasty, as the language evolved over this period, the various local varieties became mutually unintelligible. In reaction, central governments have sought to promulgate a unified standard. Difficulties have included the great diversity of the languages, the lack of inflection in many of them, in addition, many of the smaller languages are spoken in mountainous areas that are difficult to reach, and are often also sensitive border zones. Without a secure reconstruction of proto-Sino-Tibetan, the structure of the family remains unclear. A top-level branching into Chinese and Tibeto-Burman languages is often assumed, the earliest examples of Chinese are divinatory inscriptions on oracle bones from around 1250 BCE in the late Shang dynasty
20.
Standard Chinese
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Its pronunciation is based on the Beijing dialect, its vocabulary on the Mandarin dialects, and its grammar is based on written vernacular Chinese. Like other varieties of Chinese, Standard Chinese is a language with topic-prominent organization. It has more initial consonants but fewer vowels, final consonants, Standard Chinese is an analytic language, though with many compound words. There exist two standardised forms of the language, namely Putonghua in Mainland China and Guoyu in Taiwan, aside from a number of differences in pronunciation and vocabulary, Putonghua is written using simplified Chinese characters, while Guoyu is written using traditional Chinese characters. There are many characters that are identical between the two systems, in English, the governments of China and Hong Kong use Putonghua, Putonghua Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, and Mandarin, while those of Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia, use Mandarin. The name Putonghua also has a long, albeit unofficial, history and it was used as early as 1906 in writings by Zhu Wenxiong to differentiate a modern, standard Chinese from classical Chinese and other varieties of Chinese. For some linguists of the early 20th century, the Putonghua, or common tongue/speech, was different from the Guoyu. The former was a prestige variety, while the latter was the legal standard. Based on common understandings of the time, the two were, in fact, different, Guoyu was understood as formal vernacular Chinese, which is close to classical Chinese. By contrast, Putonghua was called the speech of the modern man. The use of the term Putonghua by left-leaning intellectuals such as Qu Qiubai, prior to this, the government used both terms interchangeably. In Taiwan, Guoyu continues to be the term for Standard Chinese. The term Putonghua, on the contrary, implies nothing more than the notion of a lingua franca, Huayu, or language of the Chinese nation, originally simply meant Chinese language, and was used in overseas communities to contrast Chinese with foreign languages. Over time, the desire to standardise the variety of Chinese spoken in these communities led to the adoption of the name Huayu to refer to Mandarin and it also incorporates the notion that Mandarin is usually not the national or common language of the areas in which overseas Chinese live. The term Mandarin is a translation of Guānhuà, which referred to the lingua franca of the late Chinese empire, in English, Mandarin may refer to the standard language, the dialect group as a whole, or to historic forms such as the late Imperial lingua franca. The name Modern Standard Mandarin is sometimes used by linguists who wish to distinguish the current state of the language from other northern. Chinese has long had considerable variation, hence prestige dialects have always existed. Confucius, for example, used yǎyán rather than colloquial regional dialects, rime books, which were written since the Northern and Southern dynasties, may also have reflected one or more systems of standard pronunciation during those times
21.
Pinyin
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Pinyin, or Hànyǔ Pīnyīn, is the official romanization system for Standard Chinese in mainland China, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan. It is often used to teach Standard Chinese, which is written using Chinese characters. The system includes four diacritics denoting tones, Pinyin without tone marks is used to spell Chinese names and words in languages written with the Latin alphabet, and also in certain computer input methods to enter Chinese characters. The pinyin system was developed in the 1950s by many linguists, including Zhou Youguang and it was published by the Chinese government in 1958 and revised several times. The International Organization for Standardization adopted pinyin as a standard in 1982. The system was adopted as the standard in Taiwan in 2009. The word Hànyǔ means the language of the Han people. In 1605, the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci published Xizi Qiji in Beijing and this was the first book to use the Roman alphabet to write the Chinese language. Twenty years later, another Jesuit in China, Nicolas Trigault, neither book had much immediate impact on the way in which Chinese thought about their writing system, and the romanizations they described were intended more for Westerners than for the Chinese. One of the earliest Chinese thinkers to relate Western alphabets to Chinese was late Ming to early Qing Dynasty scholar-official, the first late Qing reformer to propose that China adopt a system of spelling was Song Shu. A student of the great scholars Yu Yue and Zhang Taiyan, Song had been to Japan and observed the effect of the kana syllabaries. This galvanized him into activity on a number of fronts, one of the most important being reform of the script, while Song did not himself actually create a system for spelling Sinitic languages, his discussion proved fertile and led to a proliferation of schemes for phonetic scripts. The Wade–Giles system was produced by Thomas Wade in 1859, and it was popular and used in English-language publications outside China until 1979. This Sin Wenz or New Writing was much more sophisticated than earlier alphabets. In 1940, several members attended a Border Region Sin Wenz Society convention. Mao Zedong and Zhu De, head of the army, both contributed their calligraphy for the masthead of the Sin Wenz Societys new journal. Outside the CCP, other prominent supporters included Sun Yat-sens son, Sun Fo, Cai Yuanpei, the countrys most prestigious educator, Tao Xingzhi, an educational reformer. Over thirty journals soon appeared written in Sin Wenz, plus large numbers of translations, biographies, some contemporary Chinese literature, and a spectrum of textbooks
22.
Cantonese
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Cantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is a variety of Chinese spoken in the city of Guangzhou in southeastern China. It is the prestige variety of Yue, one of the major subdivisions of Chinese. In mainland China, it is the lingua franca of the province of Guangdong and some neighbouring areas such as Guangxi. In Hong Kong and Macau, Cantonese serves as one of their official languages and it is also spoken amongst overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia and throughout the Western World. When Cantonese and the closely related Yuehai dialects are classified together, Cantonese is viewed as vital part of the cultural identity for its native speakers across large swathes of southeastern China, Hong Kong and Macau. Although Cantonese shares some vocabulary with Mandarin, the two varieties are mutually unintelligible because of differences in pronunciation, grammar and lexicon, sentence structure, in particular the placement of verbs, sometimes differs between the two varieties. This results in the situation in which a Cantonese and a Mandarin text may look similar, in English, the term Cantonese is ambiguous. Cantonese proper is the variety native to the city of Canton and this narrow sense may be specified as Canton language or Guangzhou language in English. However, Cantonese may also refer to the branch of Cantonese that contains Cantonese proper as well as Taishanese and Gaoyang. In this article, Cantonese is used for Cantonese proper, historically, speakers called this variety Canton speech or Guangzhou speech, although this term is now seldom used outside mainland China. In Guangdong province, people call it provincial capital speech or plain speech. In Hong Kong and Macau, as well as among overseas Chinese communities, in mainland China, the term Guangdong speech is also increasingly being used among both native and non-native speakers. Due to its status as a prestige dialect among all the dialects of the Cantonese or Yue branch of Chinese varieties, the official languages of Hong Kong are Chinese and English, as defined in the Hong Kong Basic Law. The Chinese language has different varieties, of which Cantonese is one. Given the traditional predominance of Cantonese within Hong Kong, it is the de facto official spoken form of the Chinese language used in the Hong Kong Government and all courts and it is also used as the medium of instruction in schools, alongside English. A similar situation exists in neighboring Macau, where Chinese is an official language along with Portuguese. As in Hong Kong, Cantonese is the predominant spoken variety of Chinese used in life and is thus the official form of Chinese used in the government. The variant spoken in Hong Kong and Macau is known as Hong Kong Cantonese, Cantonese first developed around the port city of Guangzhou in the Pearl River Delta region of southeastern China
23.
Jyutping
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Jyutping is a romanisation system for Cantonese developed by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong, an academic group, in 1993. Its formal name is The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong Cantonese Romanisation Scheme, the LSHK promotes the use of this romanisation system. The name Jyutping is a contraction consisting of the first Chinese characters of the terms Jyut6jyu5, only the finals m and ng can be used as standalone nasal syllables. ^ ^ ^ Referring to the pronunciation of these words. There are nine tones in six distinct tone contours in Cantonese, however, as three of the nine are entering tones, which only appear in syllables ending with p, t, and k, they do not have separate tone numbers in Jyutping. Jyutping and the Yale Romanisation of Cantonese represent Cantonese pronunciations with the letters in, The initials, b, p, m, f, d, t, n, l, g, k, ng, h, s, gw, kw. The vowel, aa, a, e, i, o, u, the coda, i, u, m, n, ng, p, t, k. But they differ in the following, The vowels eo and oe represent /ɵ/ and /œː/ respectively in Jyutping, the initial j represents /j/ in Jyutping whereas y is used instead in Yale. The initial z represents /ts/ in Jyutping whereas j is used instead in Yale, the initial c represents /tsʰ/ in Jyutping whereas ch is used instead in Yale. In Jyutping, if no consonant precedes the vowel yu, then the initial j is appended before the vowel, in Yale, the corresponding initial y is never appended before yu under any circumstances. Jyutping defines three finals not in Yale, eu /ɛːu/, em /ɛːm/, and ep /ɛːp/ and these three finals are used in colloquial Cantonese words, such as deu6, lem2, and gep6. To represent tones, only tone numbers are used in Jyutping whereas Yale traditionally uses tone marks together with the letter h. Jyutping and Cantonese Pinyin represent Cantonese pronunciations with the letters in, The initials, b, p, m, f, d, t, n, l, g, k, ng, h, s, gw, kw. The vowel, aa, a, e, i, o, u, the coda, i, u, m, n, ng, p, t, k. But they have differences, The vowel oe represents both /ɵ/ and /œː/ in Cantonese Pinyin whereas eo and oe represent /ɵ/ and /œː/ respectively in Jyutping. The vowel y represents /y/ in Cantonese Pinyin whereas both yu and i are used in Jyutping, the initial dz represents /ts/ in Cantonese Pinyin whereas z is used instead in Jyutping. The initial ts represents /tsʰ/ in Cantonese Pinyin whereas c is used instead in Jyutping. To represent tones, the numbers 1 to 9 are usually used in Cantonese Pinyin, however, only the numbers 1 to 6 are used in Jyutping
24.
Southern Min
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Southern Min, or Minnan, is a branch of Min Chinese spoken in certain parts of China including southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, and southern Zhejiang, and in Taiwan. The Min Nan dialects are spoken by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora, most notably the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia. In common parlance, Southern Min usually refers to Hokkien, including Amoy and Taiwanese Hokkien, the Southern Min dialect group also includes Teochew, though Teochew has limited mutual intelligibility with Hokkien. Hainanese is not mutually intellgible with other Southern Min and is considered a separate branch of Min. Southern Min is not mutually intelligible with Eastern Min, Pu-Xian Min, any other Min branch, Hakka, Cantonese, Shanghainese or Mandarin. Southern Min dialects are spoken in the part of Fujian. The variant spoken in Leizhou, Guangdong as well as Hainan is Hainanese and is not mutually intelligible with other Southern Min or Teochew, Hainanese is classified in some schemes as part of Southern Min and in other schemes as separate. Puxian Min was originally based on the Quanzhou dialect, but over time became heavily influenced by Eastern Min, eventually losing intellegility with Minnan. A forms of Southern Min spoken in Taiwan, collectively known as Taiwanese, Southern Min is a first language for most of the Hoklo people, the main ethnicity of Taiwan. The correspondence between language and ethnicity is not absolute, as some Hoklo have very limited proficiency in Southern Min while some non-Hoklo speak Southern Min fluently, there are many Southern Min speakers also among Overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. Many ethnic Chinese immigrants to the region were Hoklo from southern Fujian and brought the language to what is now Burma, Indonesia and present-day Malaysia and Singapore. In general, Southern Min from southern Fujian is known as Hokkien, Hokkienese, many Southeast Asian ethnic Chinese also originated in the Chaoshan region of Guangdong and speak Teochew language, the variant of Southern Min from that region. Southern Min-speakers form the majority of Chinese in Singapore, with the largest group being Hokkien, despite the similarities the two groups are rarely seen as part of the same Minnan Chinese subgroups. The variants of Southern Min spoken in Zhejiang province are most akin to that spoken in Quanzhou, the variants spoken in Taiwan are similar to the three Fujian variants and are collectively known as Taiwanese. Those Southern Min variants that are known as Hokkien in Southeast Asia also originate from these variants. The variants of Southern Min in the Chaoshan region of eastern Guangdong province are known as Teochew or Chaozhou. Teochew is of importance in the Southeast Asian Chinese diaspora, particularly in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Sumatra. The Philippines variant is mostly from the Quanzhou area as most of their forefathers are from the aforementioned area, the Southern Min language variant spoken around Shanwei and Haifeng differs markedly from Teochew and may represent a later migration from Zhangzhou
25.
Hokkien
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Hokkien /hɒˈkiɛn/ is a group of Southern Min dialects spoken throughout Southeastern China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and by other overseas Chinese. Hokkien originated in southern Fujian, the Min-speaking province and it is closely related to Teochew, though there is limited mutual intelligibility, and is somewhat more distantly related to Hainanese and Leizhou dialect. Besides Hokkien, there are also other Min and Hakka dialects in Fujian province, the term Hokkien is etymologically derived from the Southern Min pronunciation for Fujian, the province from which the language hails. The variety is known by other terms such as the more general Min Nan or Southern Min. Fujianese and Fukienese are also used, although they are somewhat imprecise, the term Hokkien is not usually used in Mainland China or Taiwan. Conversely Hokkien is the name in Southeast Asia in both English, Chinese or other languages. Speakers of Hokkien, particularly those in Southeast Asia, typically refer to Hokkien as a dialect, people in Taiwan most often refer to Hokkien as the Taiwanese language, with Minnan and Holo also being used and 福建話 is not as common. Hokkien originated in the area of Fujian province, an important center for trade and migration. The major pole of Hokkien varieties outside of Fujian is Taiwan, the Taiwanese version mostly have origins with the Quanzhou and Zhangzhou variants, but since then, the Amoy dialect is becoming the modern prestige standard for the language. There are many Hokkien speakers among overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia as well as in the United States, many ethnic Han Chinese emigrants to the region were Hoklo from southern Fujian, and brought the language to what is now Burma, Indonesia and present day Malaysia and Singapore. Many of the Hokkien dialects of this region are similar to Taiwanese and Amoynese. Hokkien is reportedly the native language of up to 80% of the Chinese people in the Philippines, Hokkien speakers form the largest group of overseas Chinese in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines. Southern and part of western Fujian is home to four principal Hokkien dialects, Chinchew, Amoy, Chiangchew and Longyan, originating from the cities of Quanzhou, Xiamen, Zhangzhou and Longyan. As Xiamen is the city of southern Fujian, Amoy is considered the most important, or even the prestige dialect. It is a hybrid of the Quanzhou and Zhangzhou dialects, same as Amoy dialect, the varieties of Hokkien spoken in Taiwan are hybrids of the Quanzhou and Zhangzhou dialects, and are collectively known as Taiwanese Hokkien or just Taiwanese. Used by a majority of the population, it bears much importance from a socio-political perspective, the varieties of Hokkien in Southeast Asia originate from these dialects. The Singaporeans, Southern Malaysians and people in Indonesias Riau and surrounding islands variant is from the Quanzhou area and they speak a distinct form of Quanzhou Hokkien called Southern Peninsular Malaysian Hokkien. Among ethnic Chinese inhabitants of Penang, and other states in Northern Malaysia and Medan, with areas in North Sumatra, Indonesia
26.
Zhang Yimou
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Zhang Yimou is a Chinese film director, producer, writer and actor, and former cinematographer. He is counted amongst the Fifth Generation of Chinese filmmakers, having made his debut in 1987 with Red Sorghum. In 1993, he was a member of the jury at the 43rd Berlin International Film Festival, Zhang directed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games, which received considerable international acclaim. One of Zhangs recurrent themes is the resilience of Chinese people in the face of hardship and adversity, a theme which has been explored in such films as To Live and Not One Less. His films are noted for their rich use of colour, as can be seen in some of his early films, like Raise the Red Lantern. His highest budgeted film to date is the 2016 monster film titled The Great Wall, set in Imperial China, Zhang was born in Xian, the capital of Shaanxi province. As a result, Zhang faced difficulties in his early life, during this time he took up painting and amateur still photography. In 1978, he went to Beijing Film Academy and majored in photography and he has an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Boston University and also one from Harvard University. After a personal appeal to the Ministry of Culture, and showing a portfolio of his photographic works. Zhang graduated with the class of 1982, which also included Chen Kaige, Tian Zhuangzhuang, the class went on to form the core of the Fifth Generation, who were a part of an artistic reemergence in China after the end of the Cultural Revolution. Zhang and his co-graduates were assigned to regional studios. This led to the production of Zhang Junzhaos One and Eight, on which Zhang Yimou worked as director of photography, Yellow Earth is today widely considered the inaugural film of the Fifth Generation directors. In 1985, after moving back to his town of Xian, Zhang was engaged as cinematographer and lead actor for director Wu Tianmings upcoming film Old Well. The lead role won Zhang a Best Actor award at the Tokyo International Film Festival,1987 saw the release of Zhangs directorial debut, Red Sorghum, starring Chinese actress Gong Li in her first leading role. Codename Cougar, an experiment in the political thriller genre, was released in 1989, featuring Gong Li. However, it garnered less-than-positive reviews at home and Zhang himself later dismissed the film as his worst, in the same year, Zhang began work on his next project, the period drama Ju Dou. In 1989, he was a member of the jury at the 16th Moscow International Film Festival, after the success of Ju Dou, Zhang began work on Raise the Red Lantern. Based on Su Tongs novel Wives and Concubines, the film depicted the realities of life in a family compound during the 1920s
27.
Rush Hour 2
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Rush Hour 2 is a 2001 American martial arts buddy cop action comedy film. It is the sequel to the 1998 film Rush Hour and the installment in the Rush Hour film series. The film stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker who respectively reprise their roles as Inspector Lee, the film finds Lee and Carter embroiled in a counterfeit scam involving the Triads. Rush Hour 2 was released August 3,2001 to mixed reviews from critics and it is the highest-grossing martial arts film of all time, and was followed up with another sequel, Rush Hour 3, in 2007. Their leisure is temporarily put on hold as soon as a bomb explodes at the United States Consulate General, Chief Inspector Lee is assigned to the case, which becomes personal when it is discovered that it somehow involves Ricky Tan, his late police officer fathers former partner. Ricky, who was suspected of having a role in elder Lees death, is now a leader of the Triads. This, however, causes Lee and Carter to get into a brawl between them and Rickys bodyguards, with Carter becoming shocked with Lee as they were busy with their vacation. Secret Service, led by Agent Sterling, and the HKPF soon get into a fight over the jurisdiction of the case, suddenly, the nearby room that Carter was in is bombed, causing Lee to believe hes dead and grieve for him. Carter is revealed to be alive, leaving the room before it exploded and he and a relieved Lee cross paths at Rickys yacht where he is holding a dinner party. Ricky scolds his underling, Hu Li, who then leaves as Lee, just as Ricky asks for protection, Hu Li shoots him and makes her escape in the chaos. An angry Sterling holds Lee responsible for Rickys death, and orders him off the case, Carter is ordered back to Los Angeles for involving himself and Lee volunteers to take him to the airport. However, at the airport, Carter gets Lee to return to LA with him and they set up camp outside the Reign Towers, spotting a U. S. Secret Service agent named Isabella Molina, whom Carter met earlier in Hong Kong, after a few misunderstandings, Molina tells the two men that she is undercover, looking into Reigns money laundering of $100 million in superdollars. Lee and Carter pay a visit to Kenny, a known to Carter who runs a gambling den in the back of his Chinese restaurant. He tells them that a usually broke customer recently came into his establishment with an amount of hundred-dollar bills. Carter confirms that they are Reigns counterfeits and they trace the money back to a bank, the mobsters are waiting for them and knock the two cops unconscious, with Molina looking on. After arriving in Las Vegas, Lee and Carter wake up one of the mobs trucks. After finding out where they are, they realize that Reign is laundering the $100 million through the new Red Dragon Casino, at the Red Dragon, Lee and Carter split up
28.
Hero (2002 film)
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Hero is a 2002 Chinese wuxia film directed by Zhang Yimou. Starring Jet Li as the nameless protagonist, the film is based on the story of Jing Kes assassination attempt on the King of Qin in 227 BC, Hero was first released in China on 24 October 2002. At that time, it was the most expensive project and the motion picture in Chinese film history. Miramax Films owned the American market distribution rights, but delayed the release of the film for two years. It was finally presented by Quentin Tarantino to American theaters on 27 August 2004, as a result, the king has implemented extreme security measures, no visitors are to approach the king within 100 paces. Nameless claims that he has slain the three assassins and he displays their weapons before the king, who allows the former to approach within ten paces and tell him his story. Nameless recounts first killing Long Sky, before traveling to meet Flying Snow and Broken Sword and he tells Sword that he is there to commission a calligraphy scroll with the character for Sword, secretly seeking to learn Swords skill through his calligraphy. Nameless also learns that Snow and Sword, who are lovers, had grown distant. Once the scroll is complete, Nameless reveals his identity and challenges both Snow and Sword to a duel the next day, Sword, who knows that the scroll has revealed his weaknesses to Nameless, makes love to his pupil Moon, but is seen by Snow. In revenge, Snow kills Sword, followed by Moon when she attempted to revenge for her master. The next day, Nameless kills the emotionally unstable Snow before the Qin army and he then narrates his guess at what really happened. Nameless explains that he can use this technique to kill the king and he further explains that he only needs to kill one of them in public to prove that he has killed both of them. Snow and Sword argue over who should be the one to die, Snow then proceeds to meet Nameless before the Qin army while Sword, still recovering from his wound, watches helplessly as Snow is defeated. Moon then gives Nameless her masters sword, telling him that the swords of Snow, Nameless admits that he does indeed possess the special technique the king alluded to. However he states that the King had underestimated Sword, and tells the true story, Nameless says that the special technique, while deadly, can also be used to deal a seemingly-fatal blow that nonetheless misses all the victims vital organs. He had used this technique on Sky, and now asked Snow and he demonstrates the technique by showing that it is highly accurate as well as deadly. Snow agrees to the plan, but Sword refuses, Snow angrily accuses Sword of ruining the opportunity they had three years ago, when they had broken into the Qin palace yet Sword had refused to kill the king. She then attacks Sword, and manages to wound him with Namelesss help, the next day, Nameless kills Snow in front of the Qin army
29.
The Banquet (2006 film)
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The Banquet, released on DVD in the United States as Legend of the Black Scorpion, is a 2006 Chinese wuxia drama film. The film was directed by Feng Xiaogang and stars Zhang Ziyi, Ge You, Daniel Wu and it is a loose adaption of William Shakespeares tragedy Hamlet and Henrik Ibsens play Ghosts, featuring themes of revenge and fate. It is set in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period in 10th century China and it is the end of the Tang Dynasty and China is divided. The Crown Prince, Wu Luan, is deeply in love with the noblewoman Little Wan, however, his father, the Emperor, decides to marry Little Wan. Wu Luan, deeply hurt, flees to a theatre to study the arts of music. Shortly after Wu Luans departure, the Emperor is murdered by his brother, the film begins as Empress Wan sends messengers to the theatre, informing Wu Luan that the Emperor has died, and that his uncle will succeed the throne. Unknown to Wan, the usurping Emperor Li has already dispatched riders to assassinate Wu Luan. However, Wu Luan survives the attack and returns to court where he is met by Empress Wan and her lady-in-waiting Qing Nu, the daughter of Minister Yin, who is officially still engaged to Wu Luan. The tension in the Imperial Court is high, and when an official, Governor Pei Hong, greets Empress Wan as Empress Dowager, he. With his death, Minister Yins son, General Yin Sun, is sent to fill the position in a distant province, Wu Luan is asked by the Emperor to perform a brief swordplay ceremony, to practise for the Empress upcoming coronation. While sparring with harmless swords, the Imperial Guard suddenly produce sharpened swords, the ceremony is stopped by the Empress, who implies that the Emperor was trying to murder Wu Luan in the ceremony and make it look like an accident. Later in his chambers, a scroll drops mysteriously from the balcony to Wu Luan. Wu Luan enquires at an apothecary, who reveals that the poison used is made from Arsenic trioxide and black scorpions, meanwhile, the Empress Wan is to have a new coronation ceremony. As a special treat, Wu Luan is required to perform a swordplay ceremony, instead, as an accomplished singer and dancer, Wu Luan stages a masked mime play that exposes his uncle as his fathers murderer. The Emperor is notably shaken, but manages to conjure a plan to remove Wu Luan. An ambush by the men is set up the snowy border with the Khitans kingdom in the north. Believing that his nephew is dead, and power is firmly in his grip, the Empress comments that it would be bad luck to organise such an auspicious occasion on their 100th day of knowing each other, but the Emperor claims he does not surrender to superstitions. The Empress then decides to poison the Emperor, using the poison that was used to kill the previous Emperor
30.
Memoirs of a Geisha (film)
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Directed by Rob Marshall, the film was released in the United States on December 9,2005 by Columbia Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures, the latter was given studio credit only. It stars Zhang Ziyi, Ken Watanabe, Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh, Youki Kudoh, Suzuka Ohgo, production took place in southern and northern California and in several locations in Kyoto, including the Kiyomizu temple and the Fushimi Inari shrine. Memoirs of a Geisha tells the story of a young Japanese girl, Chiyo Sakamoto, Chiyo is eventually transformed into a geisha and renamed Sayuri, and becomes one of the most celebrated geisha of her time. But with this success, Sayuri also learns the secrets and sacrifices of the geisha lifestyle, the acting, visuals, sets, costumes, and John Williams musical score were praised, but was criticized for casting Chinese actresses as Japanese women and the films style over substance approach. The Japanese release of the film was titled Sayuri, the titular characters geisha name, Chiyo Sakamoto, a young girl from a poverty stricken fishing village, is sold along with her older sister Satsu into a life of servitude by her aging father. Chiyo is taken in by Mrs. Kayoko Nitta, the Mother of a house in Gion, one of the most prominent geisha districts in Kyoto. At the okiya, Chiyo meets another girl named Pumpkin, the cranky Granny. However, Auntie is aware of this and warns Chiyo against trusting and angering Hatsumomo, Chiyo tracks down Satsu and makes plans to run away together. However, upon returning to the okiya she discovers Hatsumomo with her boyfriend, Koichi, when they are caught, Hatsumomo attempts to twist the situation by accusing Chiyo of stealing. Chiyo denies this and informs Mother of what she saw in the shed, as a result, everyone is barred from leaving the okiya at night except to attend work engagements, and this further increases Hatsumomos anger towards Chiyo. On the night of their escape, Chiyo attempts to sneak out. As punishment for dishonoring the okiya, Mother tells Chiyo that she wont invest any money in her geisha training. She also informs Chiyo that both her parents are dead, Chiyo misses her chance to flee and never sees Satsu again. She is also demoted from geisha training to working as a slave to pay off her debts to Mother. One day, while crying on a riverbank, Chiyo is noticed by the Chairman and he buys her a shaved ice dessert and gives her his handkerchief with some money in it. Inspired by his act of kindness, Chiyo resolves to become a geisha so that she may one day become a part of the Chairmans life. Several years later, Pumpkin has begun her training as a maiko under Hatsumomos tutelage and she is unexpectedly taken under the wing of Mameha, one of Gions most successful geisha and long time rival of Hatsumomos. Although initially reluctant, Mother is persuaded by Mameha to allow Chiyo to train as a geisha, under Mamehas tutelage, Chiyo becomes a maiko and takes the name of Sayuri
31.
Shanghai International Film Festival
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The Shanghai International Film Festival, abbreviated SIFF, is one of the largest film festivals in East Asia. Along with Tokyo International Film Festival, the SIFF is one of the biggest film festivals in Asia, the first festival was held from October 7 to 14,1993, and was held until 2001. In 2003 there was no due to the SARS outbreak. Since its beginning in 1993, Shanghai International Film Festival has grown to become an A-category international film festival, SIFF organized by Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture, Radio, Film & TV and Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group. It awards several Golden Goblet Awards for best film, best director, best actor/actress, SIFF Mart consists of the Film Market, China Film Pitch and Catch, and Co-production Film Pitch and Catch. The SIFFORUM is a communication platform, the 14th Shanghai International Film Festival was held from June 11 to June 19,2011 and was chaired by US director Barry Levinson. The most prestigious award given out at Shanghai is the Jin Jue for the Best Feature Film, voted by the reporters in the entertainment industry, the awards are aimed at promoting medium-and-small-budget homegrown movies and exposing talented young directors and actors. Voted by the reporters in the entertainment industry, the awards are aimed at celebrating international action movies and honoring those who have made outstanding contributions to the genre
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Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
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Its purpose is the recognition of significant contributions to the arts, literature, or the propagation of these fields. Its origin is attributed to the Order of Saint-Michel as acknowledged by French government sources, membership is not, however, limited to French nationals, recipients include numerous foreign luminaries. Foreign recipients are admitted into the Order, without condition of age, the Order has three grades, Commandeur — medallion worn on necklet, up to twenty recipients a year. Officier — medallion worn on ribbon with rosette on left breast, chevalier — medallion worn on ribbon on left breast, up to 200 recipients a year. The reverse central disc features the head of Marianne on a golden background, the Commanders badge is topped by a gilt twisted ring. The ribbon of the Order is green with four white stripes, however, in the statutes there is a clause saying Les Officiers et les Commandeurs de la Légion dhonneur peuvent être directement promus à un grade équivalent dans lOrdre des Arts et des Lettres. Ribbons of the French military and civil awards Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec, a Quebec order based in part on the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Nominations dans lOrdre des Arts et Lettres
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