Flowers of Shanghai

Flowers of Shanghai 1998

海上花 hǎishàng huā

At the end of the 19th century, Shanghai is divided into several foreign concessions. In the British concession, a number of luxurious “flower houses” are reserved for the male elite of the city. Since Chinese dignitaries are not allowed to frequent brothels, these establishments are the only ones that these men can visit. They form a self-contained world, with its own rites, traditions and even its own language. The men don’t only visit the houses to frequent the courtesans but also to dine, smoke opium, play mahjong and relax. The women working there are known as the “flowers of Shanghai”.

HSK 1
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4.02 Intermediate

Vocabulary

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活活 活活 huó huó while still alive; simply; totally ∼HSK 3
一并 一並 yī bìng variant of ∼HSK 3
干嘛 幹嘛 gàn má what are you doing?; whatever for?; why on earth? ∼HSK 3
出主意 出主意 chū zhǔ yi to come up with ideas; to make suggestions; to offer advice ∼HSK 3
认得 認得 rèn de to recognize; to remember sth (or sb) on seeing it; to know HSK 3
本事 本事 běn shì source material; original story HSK 3
亲人 親人 qīn rén one's close relatives HSK 3
巧 巧 qiǎo opportunely; coincidentally; as it happens; skillful; timely HSK 3
吵架 吵架 chǎo jià to quarrel; to have a row; quarrel HSK 3
家具 家具 jiā jù furniture HSK 3
功夫 功夫 gōng fu skill; art; kung fu; labor; effort HSK 3
据说 據說 jù shuō it is said that; reportedly HSK 3
年纪 年紀 nián jì age HSK 3
上来 上來 shàng lái to come up; to approach; (verb complement indicating success) HSK 3
只好 只好 zhǐ hǎo to have no other option but to ...; to have to; to be forced to HSK 3
富 富 fù rich; abundant; wealthy HSK 3
争 爭 zhēng to strive for; to vie for; to argue or debate; deficient or lacking (dialect); how or what (literary) HSK 3
始终 始終 shǐ zhōng from beginning to end; all along HSK 3
当初 當初 dāng chū at that time; originally HSK 3
纪念 紀念 jì niàn to commemorate; to honor the memory of; memento; keepsake; souvenir HSK 3
齐 齊 qí neat; even; level with; identical; simultaneous; all together; to even sth out HSK 3
吵 吵 chǎo to quarrel; to make a noise; noisy; to disturb by making a noise HSK 3
将来 將來 jiāng lái in the future; future; the future HSK 3
银 銀 yín silver; silver-colored; relating to money or currency HSK 3
眼前 眼前 yǎn qián before one's eyes; now; at present HSK 3
资格 資格 zī gé qualifications; seniority HSK 3
搬 搬 bān to move (i.e. relocate oneself); to move (sth relatively heavy or bulky); to shift; to copy indiscriminately HSK 3
恐怕 恐怕 kǒng pà fear; to dread; I'm afraid that...; perhaps; maybe HSK 3
汤 湯 shāng rushing current HSK 3
桥 橋 qiáo bridge HSK 3
赶 趕 gǎn to overtake; to catch up with; to hurry; to rush; to try to catch (the bus etc); to drive (cattle etc) forward; to drive (sb) away; to avail oneself of (an opportunity); until; by (a certain time) HSK 3
生意 生意 shēng yi business HSK 3
烟 煙 yān cigarette or pipe tobacco; smoke; mist; vapour; tobacco plant; (of the eyes) to be irritated by smoke HSK 3
香 香 xiāng fragrant; sweet smelling; aromatic; savory or appetizing; (to eat) with relish; (of sleep) sound; perfume or spice; joss or incense stick HSK 3
初 初 chū at first; (at the) beginning; first; junior; basic HSK 3
困 困 kùn to trap; to surround; hard-pressed; stranded; destitute HSK 3
升 升 shēng to ascend; to rise to the rank of; to promote; to hoist; liter; measure for dry grain equal to one-tenth dou 斗 HSK 3
付 付 fù to pay; to hand over to; classifier for pairs or sets of things HSK 3
断 斷 duàn to break; to snap; to cut off; to give up or abstain from sth; to judge; (usu. used in the negative) absolutely; definitely; decidedly HSK 3
慢慢 慢慢 màn màn slowly HSK 3
合 合 gě 100 ml; one-tenth of a peck; measure for dry grain equal to one-tenth of sheng 升 or liter, or one-hundredth dou 斗 HSK 3
顿 頓 dùn to stop; to pause; to arrange; to lay out; to kowtow; to stamp (one's foot); at once; classifier for meals, beatings, scoldings etc: time, bout, spell, meal HSK 3
大概 大概 dà gài roughly; probably; rough; approximate; about; general idea HSK 3
猪 豬 zhū hog; pig; swine HSK 3
龙 龍 lóng dragon; imperial HSK 3
抓住 抓住 zhuā zhù to grab hold of; to capture HSK 3
调 調 diào to transfer; to move (troops or cadres); to investigate; to enquire into; accent; view; argument; key (in music); mode (music); tune; tone; melody HSK 3
姑娘 姑娘 gū niang girl; young woman; young lady; daughter; paternal aunt (old) HSK 3
下面 下面 xià miàn below; under; next; the following; also pr. [xià mian] HSK 3
代 代 dài to substitute; to act on behalf of others; to replace; generation; dynasty; age; period; (historical) era; (geological) eon HSK 3