China Showbiz 2013/02/26
SCMP: Beijing film critic wins ADC prize for slamming Hong Kong film (Vulgaria)
Cross-border tensions on social media were stirred this week after a Beijing film critic slated a Hong Kong comedy film for being a work of “cultural garbage” that portrayed mainlanders negatively.Jia Xuanning, a 24-year-old Beijing Film Academy and Chinese University graduate, won the Hong Kong Arts Development Council ’s first ever Critic’s Prize with a scathing critique about 2012 film Vulgaria .
Jia’s 3,500 word essay titled “Gazing at the Anxiety of Hong Kong Film Through Vulgaria” won her the ADC’s Gold Prize on Monday, which came with a HK$50,000 cash reward.
“The thing I hate most about Vulgaria is that it claims to be a film produced specially for the Hong Kong people because it is what they want to watch,” Jia told reporters at the ADC awards ceremony. She said Hong Kong people deserved better films.
On Facebook, many Hongkongers were riled mainly because of Jia's mainland background, highlighting the recent rise in anti-mainland sentiment. “Hong Kong’s category-three films are just not for you [mainlanders], you should all go back and watch your category-four propaganda films about elite cadres,” said one user on Facebook.
“If [Jia] thinks all films should be interpreted by their literal meaning, then she should just look to Hollywood," another netizen wrote on Hong Kong forum HKGolden.com . "It's about time mainlanders stop thinking the world revolves around them.”
Reaction on the mainland blogosphere was mixed. One user on Sina Weibo said: "I agree partly with Jia's critique, especially the representation of mainland actresses in the film", presumably referring to Dada Chen's character.
According to the ADC's panel , Jia won because she "explored the identity of Hong Kong people and their relationship with the mainland...from a social perspective. The review not only has a strong sense of criticism, but also creativity and unique opinion, allowing readers to rethink mainstream values of Hong Kong.
Directed by Hong Kong’s Pang Ho-cheung starring Chapman To Man-chak and Ronald Cheng Chung-kei, Vulgaria’s plot revolves around a debt-ridden film producer trying trying to revamp his career with a porn film. Cheng plays a gangster from Guangxi who sports a heavy mainland accent and bankrolls the film.
Vulgaria was a critical success, raking in HK$30 million in ticket sales at the box office and six nominations for this year’s Golden Horse Film Festival. The film contains heavy swearing, a rarity in most Hong Kong films and strong adult content – points Jia did not hesitate to label "low" in her essay, according to the Apple Daily .
In the paper, Jia said Pang "proved how he could make cultural garbage entertainment successful”. She also said Hongkongers found it hard to accept how their mainland counterparts could evolve so quickly from “their poor relatives to today’s rich”.
On Facebook, actor To responded to Jia's critique by comparing film appreciation to “looking at the Mona Lisa”: “Happy people may feel she is smilingly at them genuinly, the self-abased may feel she is smilying at them mockingly. As for Mona Lisa herself, she doesn’t give a s***!”
Pang denied his film was a snub aimed at mainlanders and posted a response in defence of his film: "I think the Hong Kong spirit is embodied in freedom of speech...you think vulgarity is garbage, I think the suppression of vulgarity leads to the downfall of works of free speech." (SCMP)
Posters for Zhao Wei's "So Young"
Chow's 'Odyssey' to break Chinese box office record
Stephen Chow's fantasy comedy "Odyssey" is poised to become the highest grossing domestic film in China.
It has earned 1 billion yuan (159 million U.S. dollars) in just half a month, becoming one of only two domestic films to generate more than 1 billion yuan in box office revenues on the mainland, China Film News said Monday.
It took 20 days for "Lost in Thailand," the current box office record holder, to bring in the same amount of money.
"Lost," a low-budget comedy, has earned gross revenues of more than 1.2 billion yuan since it debuted last December.
But many believe the film's record will soon be usurped by "Odyssey," as the latter will stay on Chinese theaters' "hit films" list for at least another 15 days.
Following the popularity of Chow's 1994 two-part film series "A Chinese Odyssey," the film is a retelling of the classic Chinese tale "Journey to the West."
"Odyssey" debuted on Feb. 10 and took in 80 million yuan on its first day, the biggest opening ever for a domestic film, according to figures from the film's producer, the Huayi Bros. Media Group.
It also reset the mainland's single-day box office record after taking in revenues of 122 million yuan on Valentine's Day. The previous single-day record was 112 million yuan earned by "Transformers III: Dark of the Moon" in 2011.
China is the world's second-largest film market. Its 2012 box office sales hit 17.07 billion yuan, surging 30.18 percent year on year.
Bingbings gather at Oscar after-party
Chinese actresses Fan Bingbing (left) and Li Bingbing arrive for the 2013 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Graydon Carter at Sunset Tower Hotel on Sunday, February 24, 2013 in West Hollywood, California. [Photo: Larry Busacca/VF13/GettyNorthAmerica/CFP]
Fan Bingbing and Li Bingbing, two A-list Chinese actresses, jointly enhanced the Chinese presence at the 2013 Vanity Fair Oscar Party held on Sunday, February 24 at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood.
Fan Bingbing wore a strapless striped dress from Oscar de la Renta's spring 2013 collection. Li Bingbing displayed a turquoise suit from Gucci.
Earlier, Fan Bingbing appeared on the Oscars red carpet in a Marchesa gown.
The annual Oscar-night party held by Vanity Fair magazine provides a place where film stars and celebrities continue their celebrations after the awards ceremony
- Street beat plump road princess
Ang Lee Thanks Taiwan and China for “Life of Pi’s” Oscar Win
Ang Lee’s Oscar win throws up censorship debate in China
The Oscar award for 'Life of Pi' director Ang Lee has aroused a surge of pride among ethnic Chinese but it has also raised serious questions about censorship in China. Critics are saying censorship is the main reason why Chinese artists and movie directors are not able to equal the success of Taiwan-born American director Ang.
"Due to censorship, we are restrained from the beginning of our production, which forbids our works from mirroring genuine realities," the local media quoted Hao Jie, a young Chinese director whose films have been banned in his country but have won international recognition like the Special Jury Prize in the Tokyo Filmex Festival.
The issue of censorship and international acclaim is closely related in China. Liu Xiaobo, a fighter for freedom and against censorship won the 2010 Nobel prize for peace. Censorship has also been blamed for writers and artists failing to get international recognition until Mo Yan became the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel Prize for literature last year.
The issue is a political one because Chinese authorities are using both economic persuasion and military threats to get the democratically-run Taiwan to merge with mainland China. But critics ask if Beijing would allow the likes of Ang Lee to express themselves freely.
Sina Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, recently cancelled the account of Frank Hsieh, former premier of Taiwan's pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party. Hsieh's last Tweet said: "Whether or not there is freedom of speech does not depend on how freely you speak when you criticize high officials or people in power, but whether you lose your freedom after you speak."
China has already become the world's second-largest movie market, with moviegoers spending 17 billion yuan ($ 2.7 billion) on ticket! s last year. Su Mu, a professor with Beijing Film Academy, said filmmakers are as much at fault as censorship. "Iranian directors made great films despite censorship," Su was quoted by Global Times as saying. "Lee produces his works with his heart, but most mainland directors now only have money in mind," Su said.
Read More @ Times of India
Oscars, in passing
Ang Lee, you've just won the Best Director Award at the Oscars! Where are you going? I'm going to In-N-Out Burger!
Ang Lee (李安) beat out strong contenders such as Steven Spielberg and won Best Director for Life of Pi <少年PI的奇幻漂流> at the 85th Annual Oscars Awards which took place on Sunday, February 24. The humble director paid special thanks to Taiwan, for which he credited their tremendous support during filming. In honor of the director, Taiwan also proudly displayed Ang Lee’s name in bright lights on Taipei 101, the City’s iconic commercial building.
Nominated for 11 awards at the 85th Academy Awards, Life of Pi also won awards for Best Cinematography, Visual Effects, and Original Score. After 2005′s Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee won his second Best Director Oscar last night.
During his Oscar acceptance speech, the soft spoken Ang Lee said, “Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you, movie god. I really need to share this with all 3,000 people, everyone who worked with me on Life of Pi. I cannot make this movie without the help of Taiwan. We shot there. I want to thank everybody who had helped us. Especially the city of Tai Chong. My Indian crew, I love you. My Canadian crew, I love you. My family in Taiwan. My wife, Jane Lin. We’ll be married 30 years this summer. I love you. My boys, Han and Mason, thank you for your support. Finally, my agent, Carin Sage and lawyer, Ira Schreck, and Joe Dapello, I have to do that. Especially for this movie, it’s great to have your support. Thank you, the Academy. Xie xie, namaste.”
Many of Ang’s fans in Taiwan were touched by his words and expressed gratitude that the famous director, who chose to film Life of Pi in Taiwan, did not forget his mother country.
Sisy Chen (陳文茜), famed reporter from Taiwan, also praised Ang for acknowledging Taiwan’s contribution toLife of Pi on her blog. “His acceptance speech touched the hearts of many Taiwanese citizens. He knows that Tai Chong is just a small city and even though his director’s dreams are completed in the United States, he never forgot his roots in Asia. Although he has crossed many borders, he never forgot where he is from and is able to relate back to Taiwan!”
Aside from his gratitude towards Taiwan, Ang hoped to fly to mainland China to personally thank local audiences for their support. More than 85 percent of Li of Pi’s total box office receipts were generated outside of the United States, with mainland Chinese box office sales especially strong.
Winning both critics and box office sales, Ang Lee is currently one of the highest sought after directors in the United States and mainland China. Ang was invited to direct Angelina Jolie’s Cleopatra and numerous mainland projects, but he has not decided what his next film will be yet.
Source: Sina.com, Sina.com
Ang Lee the quintessential Chinese scholar artist
Ang Lee's second Academy Award win, in the Best Director category, has cemented his stature as the most celebrated of Chinese-speaking filmmakers.This is not only a testament of Oscar's reach and penetration, but also an emblem of the Taiwan-born director's uncanny brilliance in transcending cultures and languages.Life of Pi, for which he won Sunday's award (Monday, Beijing Time), has nothing to do with China in either story location or plotlines, but Chinese audiences have embraced it with an open heart because we sensed an infusion of Chinese characteristics in the story-telling and the themes.This high-seas adventure received an ecstatic reception when released in the Chinese mainland and was parsed with a rare degree of glee and grit. As a matter of fact, we have discovered traces of Chinese-ness in most of Ang Lee's non-Chinese-language pictures.When he brought Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility to the screen in 1995, many were amazed at how idiomatically English it was. Unlike Mira Nair, who injected a Bollywood-style dance sequence into her version of Vanity Fair - also an adaptation of an English literary classic - there were no jarring elements of Chinese culture in Lee's non-Chinese-language endeavor.The two cowboys in Brokeback Mountain did not start kung fu fighting, for that matter. Yet, beneath the surface, we are able to detect a unique embodiment of Chinese civilization, or Asian culture in general.In Life of Pi, this fusion of cultures reaches an almost unprecedented level. The fact that the protagonist believes in Hinduism, Islamism and Catholicism goes back to the novel, but the smattering of Buddhist symbols points to a message of inclusiveness and tolerance that the director seems to have embedded in the movie.He always shies away from preaching or clarifying his intentions, leaving plenty of room for interpretation. Yet, his richly textured visual and narrative style offers a feast for thought, but never at the risk of overfeeding you.The way Ang Lee told this and other tales on screen, as well as the incandescent wisdom embodied in them, are a throwback to ancient China when Chinese literature and art displayed a brilliance that was all-embracing and never domineering, with a pace that is unhurried yet allows for spontaneity.Confrontations, if they exist, are rarely verbal or physical, but hinted at. And the tone tends to be avuncular, that of a younger version of the proverbial wise old man. No wonder Lee is often referred to in China as "Uncle Ang".I have always doubted whether Ang Lee would be able to have launched a film career in the Chinese mainland. Film directors here are supposed to be despotic, but Lee is gentle in manner and soft in voice. He once said that to be a film director in Hollywood is like being a president because you've got to serve everyone else, but it's more like an emperor in Asia because everyone serves you.With a disposition like his, stars might have harbored a secret disdain for him - before he was fully established, that is. Now, whenever he appears on television, people say: "See how scholarly-gracious Ang Lee is!"Indeed, Lee does not put Chinese images such as the red lantern or cheongsam in your face, but he and his works are the quintessential personification of the glory of Chinese culture - Chinese culture at its most cordial and sophisticated, in the tradition of the scholar artist. That sets him apart from peddlers of Chinese exotica.
It's a fine Life
Ang Lee's epic Life of Pi was the biggest winner at the 85th Academy Awards, garnering four awards including Best Director. Liu Wei reports.
Ang Lee's 3-D adaptation of Yann Martel's bestselling novel tells a spiritual fable about a boy's adventures on the ocean with a Bengal tiger as his only companion. This will be his third Oscar, after an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in 2000 and Best Director for Brokeback Mountain in 2005.
Few Chinese directors have achieved what Lee, 59, has in terms of both popular and critical acclaim.
In the 1990s, Zhang Yimou and Chen Kaige made their names at European film festivals, but they later switched to commercial blockbusters after 2000, and have not produced impressive works as far as artistic achievements are concerned.
Lee's success can be attributed to both his own hard work and the Hollywood film industry, according to Ben Ji, a veteran producer.
"What Lee has been doing, and what most mainland directors have failed to do, is to always embrace new challenges, instead of staying within one's comfort zone," Ji says.
"While many Chinese filmmakers tend to work on a proven formula, Lee explores new genres and subjects all the time, many of which are very challenging, such as sexual liberation in The Ice Storm and homosexuality in Brokeback Mountain."
On the other hand, the sophisticated film industry in Hollywood has made it possible for such an innovative and ambitious filmmaker to exploit his talents.
He takes Life of Pi as an example.
"The film deals with the most difficult elements in filmmaking: Water, animals and children. In China, where box office receipts are now the biggest concern in making a film, few investors would have dared take the adventure with Lee."
Lee's success is phenomenal, but hard to replicate, says scriptwriter Shi Hang.
"Lee's deep understanding of both East and West has contributed much to his success," he says. Lee's ability to understand can be traced to his solid comprehension of both Chinese culture and Western theater.
Lee, born into a scholarly family in Taiwan, received a traditional Chinese education before he went to the United States to study at the University of Illinois, where he completed his bachelor's degree in theater in 1980. He later studied at the Tisch School of the Arts of New York University.
His first three feature films were Taiwan stories, financially subsidized by Taiwan's film funds for young directors with potential. He did not stop there, but boldly went on to film Sense and Sensibility, an English book-to-screen classic starring celebrated English actress Emma Thompson.
"Sense and Sensibility and his next two films, The Ice Storm and Ride with the Devil, dealt with subtle subjects even Western filmmakers would be cautious about, such as the American Civil War. But Lee always managed to find a delicate approach," Shi says.
What will inspire Chinese directors about Lee's triumphs is to open their minds to learn, says the producer Ji, who is optimistic that more directors like Ang Lee will soon appear among China's young brood of filmmakers.
"Let's hope what they learn from both Eastern and Western cultures will bring about some fresh air in the industry here. Maybe they will be less obsessed with box office takings and will be better prepared to learn through education and experience," he says. - Silent Code - BBS xiang min de zheng yi (2012)
- Hiroshima 28 - Guang dao nian ba (1974)
- The Bingbings go to a party Fan Bingbing and Li Bingbing took their teeny handbags and glam party dresses to the Vanity Fair after-Oscar bash. While realizing that the evening bags are props/ads, there is still very little room for much of anything in them--perhaps a compact for last minute touch-ups, a subway token to make sure one can get home if she has to ditch her date and a poison tipped dagger if trouble arises.
For those interested, FBB's dress was from Joe's Custom Awning while LBB wore a suit from Bat-Wings R Us.
Each shows that she knows how to hit her mark and smile for the camera:
- Lovers' Rock - Qing ren shi (1964)
- Fan Bingbing at the Oscars, clinches Hollywood deal Fan Bingbing graced the 85th Academy Awards last night as guest of veteran Hollywood producer Bill Mechanic. The former Disney and Fox executive also signed Fan on to two English language projects with Cosmos Filmed Entertainment, the production company which he founded late last year.
Fan Bingbing wearing Marchesa and jewellery by Chopard on the Oscars red carpet.
The first of two films, working titled The Moon & The Sun, where Fan plays a mermaid captured by an immortality-seeking King Louis XIV, will also star Pierce Brosnan. The second, The Dragon Phoenix 龙凤劫, a Chinese co-production set in Shanghai, stars Fan as Ling-Ahn who must reunite with an old flame to recover a stolen Chinese artifact. Both films are currently in pre-production.
Fan Bingbing and Bill Mechanic before the Oscars at the Four Seasons Hotel, Beverly Hills. - Ang Lee's 'Life of Pi' wins big at Oscars Taiwanese director Ang Lee's 3-D adventure film "Life of Pi" became one of the biggest winners of this year's Academy Awards Sunday (Los Angeles time) by snagging four Oscars, including best director.
"Life of Pi," which explores faith through tales of a shipwrecked boy adrift on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, also snapped up the golden statuettes for best original score, best cinematography and best visual effects.
It is the second time Lee has won an Oscar for best director. His first was in 2006 with the cowboy love story "Brokeback Mountain," which made him the first Asian ever to win the award.
In his best director award acceptance speech, Lee thanked his 3,000-member cast and crew, as well as Canadian novelist Yann Martel, who wrote the 2002 Man Booker Prize-winning novel "Life of Pi" from which the film is adapted.
"I really want to thank you for believing in this story and sharing this incredible journey with me," Lee said. "I need to thank Yann Martel for writing this incredibly inspiring book."
Lee, who beat strong contender Steven Spielberg with "Lincoln" to bag the best director award, also thanked his home country for making the film possible.
"I cannot make this movie without the help of Taiwan. We shot there," he said.
The shipwreck epic was nominated for 11 categories at the Oscars, second only to 12-nominated "Lincoln," which won for best actor, Daniel Day-Lewis, and best production design.
The biggest prize of the night — Best Picture — went to Ben Affleck's Iranian hostage crisis film "Argo," which also took best film editing and adapted screenplay.
"Life of Pi" won against "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," "Marvel's The Avengers," "Prometheus" and "Snow White and the Huntsman" in the visual effects category, while it beat "Lincoln," "Skyfall," "Anna
Karenina" and "Django Unchained" in best cinematography.
"Life of Pi" film composer Mychael Danna, meanwhile, took the trophy in best original score for "Pi," against "Argo," "Lincoln," "Skyfall" and "Anna Karenina."
"I share this wondrous award with our visionary captain, Mr. Ang Lee … who guided a truly global cast and crew in the telling of this wondrous, beautiful story that transcends culture and race and religion," Danna said in his acceptance speech.
"Life of Pi" was also nominated for best picture, best film editing, original song, production design, sound editing, sound mixing and adapted screenplay.
Lee, 58, has repeatedly credited his native Taiwan for making it possible for him to complete the film. The film had garnered US$583.37 million at the box office worldwide as of Feb. 24, making it the best- selling film among the nine nominees for best picture, according to the website Box Office Mojo.
In order to film most of the ocean scenes, Lee built a wave tank on the site of a former airport in Taichung, which the local government turned over to him. It took Lee four-and-a-half years to complete the film.
The New York-based director has said he found everything he needed in Taiwan, from beaches that look like they're in Mexico, to a French swimming pool, to props and zoo animals used in the opening scenes.
Lee, born in 1954 in Pingtung, southern Taiwan, earned global recognition with his 2000 martial arts film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," which won 10 Oscar nominations.
He is known for the recurring theme of repression in his films, as well as his ability to achieve a blend of artistic and commercial success.
Meanwhile, the Academy Award best actress went to Jennifer Lawrence for her performance in "Silver Linings Playbook." Christoph Waltz won best supporting actor with "Django Unchained," while Anne Hathaway won best supporting actress with "Les Miserables."
Source: Want China Times
- Fan Bingbing walks Oscars Red Carpet
Chinese actress Fan Bingbing on the red carpet at the 85th Academy Awards on February 24, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Source: CRI)
- Chinese tune in for big night at Oscars Source: By Liu Yuhan in New York (China Daily)
Although no Chinese-connected movies were nominated for this year's Academy Awards, film lovers in China were awaiting the 85th edition of the glitzy Hollywood gala with enthusiasm.
An estimated 1.2 billion people around the world watched or will watch the spectacle, over the Internet or live or tape-delayed television. Sunday night's broadcast from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles brought to a close weeks of hype over the 12 nominations for director Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, 11 for Ang Lee's Life of Pi and competition among stars and their projects.
Chinese fans took to online forums to stream Oscar's big night (or Monday morning in China), discuss the nominees and dig for any China-related tidbits from the star-studded ceremony.
M1905.com, the website of China Television Channel 6, claimed it alone among Chinese networks had live video of stars' arrivals on the red carpet and the awards ceremony.
Although the Chinese box office grew more than 30 percent last year to 17 billion yuan ($2.7 billion), trailing only the US, Chinese movies still have a long way to go in gaining recognition in other markets.
Asked by M1905.com to comment on why there has been no Oscar nominee from China in 10 years, Hawk Koch, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said China's industry needs to work harder.
Websites in China that streamed the Academy Awards were expecting an uptick in page views, including Sina, Tencent, Douban and others. Before the ceremony, Douban, which had about 53 million registered users as of 2011, started a poll among users to vote for their own Oscars.
"It would be exciting to see Life of Pi win, yet the most exciting thing is, it's such a big year with too many movies that are as good!" said a user with the handle Oathkeeper who took part in the poll.
Another user on the site expected that "the most thrilling moment for me" would be watching British singer Adele perform the Oscar-nominated theme song from the James Bond movie Skyfall.
Some die-hard movie fans who are studying in the United States said they looked forward to watching the awards ceremony live on television.
"My love for American movies started years ago, before I came to the US. I watched the tape-delayed broadcast on CCTV's film channel, but it felt like a long wait," said Nick Wan, a second-year graduate student in higher-education administration at Boston College.
"My office is filled with joy these days – 12 of us bet on different films to see who will win," he said. Life of Pi is my favorite movie of the year."
Wan praised the 3-D adventure drama's "interesting plot" and said it was "beautifully shot, with superb visual effects".
"I feel proud to see a director of Chinese descent be nominated at this year's Oscars," he said referring to the Taiwan-born Lee.
Another China-related highlight was Fan Bingbing's attendance at the ceremony.
The 31-year-old Chinese actress walked the red carpet at the invitation of Hollywood producer Bill Mechanic, a former executive with Walt Disney Studios and Fox Filmed Entertainment. He has said he thinks Fan, in addition to her beauty, has the potential to be an influential, bankable star. Mechanic plans to collaborate with the actress on two films, and he hopes to introduce Fan to more people in the US movie industry.
Fan, asked if conquering Hollywood is in her plans, has said she would "go with the flow". Media reports said she was expecting Sunday night at the Oscars to be an exciting experience that could produce a breakthrough for her career.
Claus Mueller, New York correspondent for Film Festival Today, a website that covers the movie industry, said Fan stands to benefit from the exposure, however brief.
"The tremendous audiences at the Oscars will help the Chinese actress gain worldwide recognition, as the platform was also designed for networking in the industry," he said.
There have been rumors that Fan will be in the cast of Iron Man 3, with Chinese actor Wang Xueqi confirmed for the role of Dr Wu. The action sequel, which has Chinese production input and is scheduled for US release on May 3, is also said to include numerous cast members.
US movies generate more profits internationally than they do at home. In 2011, Hollywood's ticket sales soared to more than $32 billion, with about 69 percent from box offices around the world.
Chinese fans are expected to see more foreign-made movies, including from the US, in coming years. China, the world's third-biggest producer of movies, recently increased its quota for revenue-sharing imports of foreign films to 34 a year from 20.
- Ni Ni at Independent Spirits Awards
Actress Ni Ni at Independent Spirits Awards (Source: Xinhua)
- Singer Wu Mochou
Singer Wu Mochou (Source: Xinhua)
- Leading ladies release MV's Pretty MV's that may or may not have decent voices by actresses Tang Yan, Dong Jie, Wan Qian and Zhang Meng.
If only Zhang Meng looked this good as Wang Yuyan, the new remake might have some redeeming features.
Zhang Meng's MV for her new EP. The male actor is the central guy!
Ever since I first saw Wan Qian in Liu Rushi, I've mistaken her for Dong Jie. Her MV for her drama "Xiao Er Nan Yang 小儿难养," where she plays a tattoo artist/kittens adopter.
The real Dong Jie also released a MV for a song she sung a while ago, signaling a comeback for the newly single actress.
Tang Yan's duet with co-star Luo Jin for their drama "Gone with the Wind 乱世佳人."
- China's $80 Billion Wedding Market
Chinese traditions surrounding dating and marriage are shifting thanks to the growth of the country's luxury sector. "With more Chinese living and studying overseas, we observe a new demand toward more western-style weddings," said Patrick Behrens, The Peninsula Shanghai's executive assistant manager, food and beverage.
Cuisine is one aspect of Chinese weddings that is getting a Western overhaul. "Couples are trying to break away a bit from the traditions and inquire [about] a modern Chinese dinner, which is served plated rather than a traditional family-style dinner," Behrens said.
Since red is a celebration color, red wine is replacing Chinese liquor and white wines at dinner. "Another recent trend is to have a band or other live entertainer to perform during the evening. Although nobody is dancing yet during the dinner," he said.
Yellow gold and jade, the popular Chinese wedding jewelry materials, are being phased out in favor of platinum gold, white gold, silver, and diamonds. "They want white metal, mostly platinum, when they are choosing their engagement ring or their diamond ring and that is because [of] the influence of the West," said Rebecca Ip, VP, Hong Kong & Macau at Tiffany & Co. While engaged couples will research exhaustively online to find just the right ring, the decision ultimately belongs to the bride and her family.
And if the wedding trends seem biased towards women, Mary Bergstrom, founder of the Bergstrom Group and author of "All Eyes East: Lessons from the Front Lines of China's Youth Market," assures men get plenty of attention. With the number of Chinese men greatly outnumbering Chinese women, Bergstrom says men "are really aspiring to marriage…giving them tools [through] marketing and product development will help them feel better and more competitive and more complete in themselves."
More than 10 million couples marry in China each year, and the wedding industry, estimated at $80 billion, includes such areas as retail, fashion, jewelry, travel and tourism, financial planning, real estate, and household purchases.
[adage]
photo credit: peninsula shanghai
More on "Finding Mr. Right"
The release date for "Finding Mr. Right", starring Tang Wei and Wu Xiubo, has been pushed back a week to March 21. Screen Daily has a review.Below, a new poster and some newly released stills.
- Guo Jingjing looks like she's expecting a little 'Fok-ker' Is that a baby bump? Guo Jingjing's fuller figure and cautious demeanor at a recent event in Hong Kong has sparked off speculation that the former diving queen might be expecting a child with husband Kenneth Fok Fai-kong.
Does she look pregnant to you? (image source: on.cc)
All eyes have been on Jingjing's tummy ever since she tied the knot with her longtime boyfriend, last year. As expected, being the wife of Kenneth—who is the eldest grandson of the late Henry Fok, an influential Hong Kong tycoon and philanthropist —the China-born athletic beauty was said to have to deal with the pressure of producing an heir for the wealthy family.
Apart from the anxious family members, Jingjing herself had also expressed her wish of becoming a mother after her wedding on the prosperous date of 11th November last year.
It looks like Jingjing and the Foks might have gotten their wish. At a recent public appearance with her other-half, the former sports star showed signs of early pregnancy through her attire.
On top of gaining a few extra pounds, Jingjing was wearing flats and a loose-fitting top, the usual part of a pregnant woman's wardrobe.
Jingjing and Kenneth at their fairy tale wedding
To further fuel the pregnancy rumour, she kept touching and covering her stomach every now and then. Also, Kenneth was seen staying close to his wife and taking care of her.
So will there be a baby for the happy couple in the Year of the Snake? Well, Kenneth's dad Timothy, also an influential businessman in Hong Kong, joked: "Maybe Jingjing has had too much rice cake during Chinese New Year!
"I've not seen her after Chinese New Year. Let's talk about this after I've met up with her," he said.
Source: Oriental Daily (Hong Kong)
Published: 26th February 2013
MORE ON GUO JINGJING & KENNETH FOK:
Jingjing and Kenneth enter new phase of life
Guo Jingjing finally to wed HK's biggest Fok - Casino tycoon's daughter rolls the dice with singer Kenji
Laurinda Ho, dubbed the prettiest socialite in Hong Kong, has followed in her elder sister Florinda's footsteps, by dating an entertainer.
The daughter of Macau casino mogul Stanley Ho and a graduate in Economics of the Royal Holloway, University of London was spotted spending a four-day holiday with Taiwanese singer Kenji Wu in Maldives recently.
Over the past few days, Laurinda uploaded photos she took during the trip. One of the pictures showed the five-star resort, where she reportedly spent the holiday at.
She also posted a photo of herself in swimwear on Instagram with the greeting "Good morning sunshine". But the post was removed after a netizen wrote "Everyone knows you've gone to Maldives with Kenji!"
A hotel staff also told Hong Kong's Oriental Daily that the couple were sharing a room. "They checked-in last Saturday," the worker said.
Both Laurinda, 22, and Kenji, 34, have yet to respond to the reports. It was reported that the heiress has returned to the UK, where she works.
Rumours of their romance began in 2011, after Kenji was seen picking her up with his sports car at night in Taipei. Last year, Laurinda was also spotted at the artiste's concert in Beijing, China.
Laurinda and Florinda are from the third family of the casino tycoon. Florinda is currently dating TVB star Joel Chan.
Source: Agencies
Published 26th February 2013 - Jenny Tseng wants a hubby and more kids at 60
It doesn't matter that she just turned 60. Hong Kong songstress Jenny Tseng, wants to "travel the world, find a husband and have two more kids"!
Age is just a number for her. She wowed audiences at her recent Hong Kong concert with her big voice, vast repertoire and then some... Fans also marveled at her svelte figure, which has remained unchanged throughout the years.
The other thing that hasn't changed is that Jenny still has a quick temper and is straightforward to her peers and juniors. She is notorious for her bold ways and sharp tongue.
"No one would dare woo me as I've been portrayed as such a fierce person!" she joked, referring to her recent feud with Hong Kong rising star G.E.M, whom she earlier on described as "rude and disrespectful."
The veteran singer, who turned 60 on Wednesday, was married to kung fu star Alexander Fu Sheng, before the latter died at the young age of 29 in a tragic accident in 1983.
Four years later, Jenny, who had not been romantically linked to anyone since Alexander's death, set tongues wagging when she gave birth to a girl, Melody.
For decades she kept the identity of Melody's dad a secret, until October 2012, when she finally admitted that Melody was indeed Alexander's child, conceived via artificial insemination using the late actor's banked sperm.
Jenny Tseng shares a close relationship with her only child Melody. (image source: on.cc)At a concert after-party, Jenny said she would be lucky to have all three wishes come true."Since I'm already 60, I might as well as skip the process of dating and find a 'roommate' straightaway. But I have to get my daughter's permission first," she said.
Jenny Tseng was moved to tears when she celebrated her 60th birthday with her fans at her recent concert in Hong Kong. (image source: on.cc)
Her only child, 25-year-old Melody, was all for her to getting to know new people, said Jenny.
"She keeps asking me to date someone! If I were to date, I want someone I can talk to, who shares the same passion and ideas as me. It would be a waste of time if I dated someone who's the opposite of me," she said.
She revealed that she had suitors before, but "nothing happened after that". It looked like she still misses her late husband though, as the singer performed Love Is Over, a song written as a dedication to the actor, a her concert finale.
Source: Oriental Daily (Hong Kong)
Published: 26th February 2013
MORE ON JENNY TSENG:
Secret's out: Jenny Tseng's baby daddy was a dead man - Bobby Au Yeung nearly dies from overeating
TVB star Bobby Au Yeung was discharged from the hospital, after being treated for acute pneumonia for nearly two weeks.
The actor had a near-death experience on the third day of Chinese New Year, having slipped into a coma after consuming too much food at one go at a friend's gathering. He had undergone 12 hours of emergency rescue before regaining consciousness.
The 52-year-old was recently discharged from Ruttonjee Hospital, Hong Kong, accompanied by his wife Rosanna Fu and manager Lydia, and appeared to have lost a few pounds. Well-loved for as his comedic roles and goofy image, Bobby burst into tears as he hugged Rosanna and expressed his gratitude for her support throughout the ordeal.
"I've almost recovered. In fact, I feel much better than before. I've lost some weight, but not as much as my wife did. I'm really touched," said Bobby in a hoarse voice.
He recalled how he ended up being unconscious at the gathering: "I helped myself to a lot of good food during Chinese New Year. Maybe that's the trigger. The food entered the windpipe. I couldn't breathe and soon fainted."
He added that he was lucky to have many friends around him who were quick help when the incident occurred.
He also denied the rumour that his drinking habit was the cause of his condition. "I do take alcohol, but I never drink too much," he stressed.
Nor would he ever quit drinking. "Alcohol is not poison, so there's no need to quit. I will take better care of my diet in the future and drink wisely, instead of eating and drinking anything I want," he promised.
Bobby is expected to return to the set soon to finish his scenes on Love Reverses Three Lifetimes of Fate, his new drama opposite TVB queen Esther Kwan.
Source: www.chinanews.com
Published: 26th February 2013 - 'Fierce' Jenny Tseng wants a hubby and more kids at 60
It doesn't matter if she just turned 60. Hong Kong songstress Jenny Tseng, wants to "travel the world, find a husband and have two more kids".
Age is just a number for her. She wowed audiences at her recent Hong Kong concert with her big voice, vast repertoire and then some... Fans also marveled at her svelte figure, which has remained unchanged throughout the years.
The other thing that hasn't changed about Jenny is she still has a quick temper. She is notorious for her bold ways and sharp tongue.
"No one would dare woo me as I've been portrayed as such a fierce person!" she joked, referring to her recent feud with Hong Kong rising star G.E.M, whom she earlier on described as "rude and disrespectful."
The veteran singer was married to kung fu star Alexander Fu Sheng, before the latter died at the young age of 29 in a tragic accident in 1983.
Four years later, Jenny, who had not been romantically linked to anyone since Alexander's death, set tongues wagging when she gave birth to a girl, Melody.
For decades she kept the identity of Melody's dad a secret, until October 2012, when she finally admitted that Melody was indeed Alexander's child, conceived via artificial insemination using the late actor's banked sperm.
Jenny Tseng shares a close relationship with her only child Melody. (image source: on.cc)At a concert after-party, Jenny said she would be lucky to have all three wishes come true."Since I'm already 60, I might as well as skip the process of dating and find a 'roommate' straightaway. But I have to get my daughter's permission first," she said.
Jenny Tseng was moved to tears when she celebrated her 60th birthday with her fans at her recent concert in Hong Kong. (image source: on.cc)
Her only child, 25-year-old Melody, was all for her to getting to know new people, said Jenny.
"She keeps asking me to date someone! If I were to date, I want someone I can talk to, who shares the same passion and ideas as me. It would be a waste of time if I dated someone who's the opposite of me," she said.
She revealed that she had suitors before, but "nothing happened after that". It looked like she still misses her late husband though, as the singer performed Love Is Over, a song written as a dedication to the actor, at her concert finale.
Source: Oriental Daily (Hong Kong)
Published: 26th February 2013
MORE ON JENNY TSENG:
Secret's out: Jenny Tseng's baby daddy was a dead man - The Killer's Blues - Bian yuan sui yue (1990)
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